Cursed
by DoesNotCompute
Summary: In a superhuman society, choosing to become a hero is most likely the biggest decision someone can make. But what if it's not enough? Anzai Hotaru's only goal is to prove she can be more than a lockbox for an evil spirit. Armed with the powers of a woman scorned, she'll face her biggest challenge yet. High School. (AU WITH SUPERNATURAL BIZ)
1. Fresh Start

**Chapter 1**

**Third P.o.V**

_Many years ago, a young princess named Kiyo fell in love with a handsome young priest named Anchin. Anchin was staying at the manor of Kiyo's family and became interested in the girl's exquisite beauty._

_One day, he promised the troublesome girl that he'd marry her but only if she behaved. Not knowing it was a joke, the princess reminded him of his promise when he returned. Anchin lied to the girl once again by saying he would fulfill the engagement once he got back from his next trip. _

_Instead, he avoided Kiyo._

_When the young girl found out about the lie, she was heartbroken. When she found him traveling through town, she chased the man to a nearby temple. She caught up to him and asked the priest why he had not fulfilled his promise, but instead of answering, Anchin claimed not to know the girl. Her sadness turned to rage and she attacked the man. _

_The young priest, now frietened of the young beauty, did the only thing he could think of and prayed for protection. Just as Kiyo was about to lung for him, a __blinding light temporarily paralyzed Kiyo her._

_The princess was startled long enough for the priest to escape to another temple across the river. Anchin paid the boatman to refuse service to Kiyo. Furious and fueled by rage, Kiyo was determined to get to the temple. When she was denied access, she simply swam after her target._

_As soon as the young girl's body was submerged underwater, she began to transform into a large serpent. Her scales were said to be the size of dinner plates and her hatred-filled eyes were focused on searching for the man who wronged her._

_After witnessing the horrifying metamorphosis, Anchin tried to hide in the temple's bell with the help of the head priest, however, Kiyo snuffed him out. She wrapped her serpent body around the bell and began to ring it vigorously, shaking up the man clinging on inside._

_Then, in a fit of anguish, the princess breathed a hot fire from her mouth, melting the bronze bell and ultimately killing the man inside. Kiyo stopped, realizing what she had done. Overcome with grief, she then went on to drown herself in the river beneath her._

That's how the story of Anchin and Kiyo hime goes. Legend says her spirit went on to haunt the priest who hid Anchin, believing if he had simply brought them together instead of tearing them apart, her love would be alive. Her soul is said to be stuck in eternal heartache and anger as she if forced to live in the temple she and Anchin died in

You might say that Kiyo and Anchin's story simply a legend; a tale meant to scare children.

Well, legends are not just stories told to children or things made up for theatrical purposes. They are special. They are the thread that connects us to our ancestors...

Legends are our history.

**Over Six Hundred Years Later...**

Anzai Hotaru dreaded this part of going to school. The classes, she looked forward to, but meeting people and trying to make friends...? That's not really in her skill set.

Hotaru had watched all her new classmates arrive but never attempted to talk to them. It wasn't that she was incapable of striking up a conversation, but she just didnt want to. In all reality, it was both but telling herself the latter made her feel better. She raised an eyebrow as the class got quiet, the teacher having just entered a room.

"I'm Aizawa Shouta. I'll be your homeroom teacher," he said as he crawled out of a sleeping bag. Hotaru recognized him as the hero named Eraser Head. If she remembered correctly, his quirk could cancel other people's out.

Hotaru closed her scarlet eyes for a second. She still couldn't believe she was at one of the best hero schools in all of Japan!

"Each of you has a UA gym uniform in your desks. Put them on and then meet me outside," Aizawa pulled out a blue tracksuit for clarification.

Hotaru grabbed hers, wearily waiting for the class to be dismissed and at least half of the students to leave before she herself got up to change. She got to the girls' locker room and began changing. Intentionally, she was the last one to finish.

By the time she got outside, all the students of Class 1-A were standing in a small crowd around their new teacher. The awkward trek to join up with the group made Hotaru even more noticed as Aizawa had already begun to speak.

The pro hero was explaining how, in order to get stronger, they had to understand their current limits. Hotaru couldn't help but think of the school's _'Plus Ultra!_' motto. She sighed as she stopped listening to the lecture and let her mind drift off, instead.

'_Don't care to listen?_'

_'Nope._'

Hotaru played with a strand of her plum-coloured hair, the rest of it messily flowing down her back and conveniently covering up her lavender horns. Her purple tail swayed behind her, uncomfortably tucked under her tracksuit's black tank top.

'_You know you can't hide these things from me. So, fess up. What's wrong?_' the persistent voice in her head asked. This, ladies and gentleman, is the voice and spirit of the infamous Princess Kiyo.

"DIE!"

Hotaru flinched as her conversation was interrupted. She watched a blonde kid throw a ball that, with some help from his quirk, rocketed across the field. She felt her sweat fall as Aizawa held up a device that tracked how far the ball was thrown. Hotaru couldn't help but stare at the boy's smug expression with a slight sense of jealousy. She was in awe of his confidence.

'_See, a whole new set of students. Nothing like your old classmates,_' Kiyo stated. Hotaru narrowed her eyes and looked back to her shadow, Kiyo's dormant form, and frowned.

'_Well, I don't want to get my hopes up just yet,_' she admitted with a sigh.

'_What's wrong?_' Kiyo asked, noticing her host's displeased tone.

'_Same thing that's always wrong...__I'm worried that with me starting Hero School and all this new training that it'll be just like Junior High and Primary school. I feel like they'll notice I'm more fit to be a...'_ Hotaru paused, clenching her fists.

'_A villain?_' Kiyo didn't sound hurt but she didn't sound happy, either. Hotaru closed her eyes.

'_I mean, I have your powers and you were the villain..._' Hotaru thought.

'_Don't worry about it. We both know you're not bad. That's all that matters,' _Kiyo said. Hotaru was silent for a moment before nodding a quiet thank you to the voice that left once again. The teen allowed her mind to go quiet. With her conscious cleared for the mean time, she began to space out. She was blankly staring forward when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Um...Hello?" a girl with dark hair who Hotaru heard introduce herself as Yaoyorozu was staring.

"What?" Hotaru asked. Her question was met with silence and a few puzzled looks. She probably looked asleep while she was spaced out...

"Oh, right..." she remembered where she was. From what Hotaru could get out of the remainder of Aizawa's speech, the class was going to be participating in various tests to see what the students were made out of. The student with the lowest score would be kicked out of the class. Hotaru sighed, already coming to terms with her fate.

"Great..." she mumbled. The first objective was to clear fifty metres in the shortest amount of time possible. Hotaru thought for a moment. She used her sharp canine teeth to bite her thumb and draw blood.

'_Is this really what you want?_' Kiyo asked. Hotaru looked back to her shadow, eyes meeting a pair of red orbs that had appeared there. She was quiet.

"No..." she mumbled as the group before her finished their task. She stepped up to the line, ready to run. She could feel her alert senses go haywire from the adrenaline. She usually wasn't this hype but knowing the consequence Aizawa had set for the lowest scoring student, she didn't feel like taking anything lightly. Hotaru took a deep breath.

The signal went off, startling Hotaru and telling the participants that they should run. In seven-point-seventeen seconds, Hotaru reached the end, using a small burst of blue fire under her feet to help propel her forward. She had almost lost her footing a few times as she had quite literally tripped over her own feet. She blamed the fact that her tail was tucked in, leaving her unbalanced. She began to breathe heavily as her powers left her.

'_Damn it..._'

The class moved on to the next test. Weight Lifting. Hotaru managed to hold thirty kilograms. Needless to say, she was a little embarassed but Kiyo reminded her that her tail could hold even more. The only reason she didn't use it was because it didn't fit in her tracksuit comfortably. The only way it could be worn without making her tail look weird was by tucking in the scaly limb.

'_With this new lifestyle, you'll need more training to be able to handle my power for long periods of time. I suggest we create a training regimen for you,_' Kiyo said. Hotaru rolled her eyes, receiving a huff from the spirit.

'_I can see you._'

**Later...**

It was the last activity of the day. The Pitch test. Hotaru watched as student after student used their quirk to throw the ball as far as they could. When it came time for Hotaru to participate, she panicked silently.

'_Let me handle this,_' Kiyo offered. Hotaru drew more blood from her hand, letting power surge through her body. She took a deep breath as she grabbed the ball.

'_Just...hurry up,_' Hotaru warned. She closed her eyes.

"I trust you, Kiyo," she whispered, opening her red eyes a bit before throwing the ball up into the air. When it came down in front of her, she breathed a stream of blue fire, charring the ball a bit but causing it to quickly shoot off into the distance Aizawa held up the device showing how far the ball went.

'_Three hundred meters. You're already doing better than before,_' Kiyo said with an encouraging tone. Hotaru stayed silent as she walked back to the others. She knew she could have done better since she didn't go all out but she felt she did the right thing by not using all her strength. She had originally hoped to use the least amount of power as possible, but that had gone down the drain instantly.

"That was so cool! You're like a dragon!" a pinkette named Ashido Mina commented. Hotaru nodded to her a quiet thank you. She buried herself in the collar of her gym uniform. The attention was making her uncomfortable.

After a few more tests, Aizawa displayed a board ranking the student's performance. Hotaru bit her lip as she scanned the board for her name.

'_We're better than eighteenth,_' Kiyo spat with venom laced in her words. Hotaru sighed.

'_I mean...at least it's not last?'_

'_You__ would be first if you broke the seal and let me give you more power_,' Kiyo suggested.

'_You mean the power I can't fully control? Sure,'_ Hotaru responded with a large amount of sarcasm.

'_Watch your tone, Young Lady,_' Kiyo spat before falling silent. Due to her absence, Hotaru was forced to listen to Aizawa's words.

"By the way, I was lying about the expulsion."

Hotaru's face whitened and she froze. She had been so caught up worrying about her quirk and Kiyo that she forgot about the penalty for the student with the lowest scores. She felt her throat dry up.

"It was a rational deception to draw out the upper limits of your quirks," Aizawa said.

"It was obviously a lie. It should have been obvious if you thought it through," Yaoyorozu noticed her classmates' dumbfounded faces. Hotaru swallowed the lump in her throat as her body went stiff and her sweat fell.

'_Close one...'_

_**-.-**_

**Hey everyone! I just want to add a quick apology. I did my best on the first chapter but I feel weird about the flow. I had a different idea for Hotaru's quirk and hade to make many changes, so if something seems off just let me know and I'll fix it. It's most likely a part of my other story idea that I didn't see or get to fix.**

**Anyways, thank you for reading! Sorry for the long chapter.**


	2. Training

**Chapter 2**

**Hotaru's P.O.V**

It was the first round of indoor combat training. I was on the villain's team with Bakugou, the hotheaded blonde. We were all in our customized hero uniforms and because mother had taken care of mine, I wasn't sure what I was going to get. However, I was actually surprised by how much I liked it.

The costume consisted of a black and white striped, one-piece, bodysuit, a black vest, a grey skirt, and a light-grey-coloured cloak. It was a little too monotone for my taste but I still liked it. My mother most likely wanted to hide my quirk's more noticeable features but I think it only made my tail and horns pop out more.

Along with the clothes, my costume added three silver bands to my tail. No one had mentioned my tail, much to my enjoyment. I think Kyo was a little hurt by the fact that I wasn't exactly proud to have her spirit coexist within me, but she understood for the most part. It wasn't really my choice...

Back to the task at hand...

Bakugou had taken his unrivalled rage to the green-haired boy, Midoriya Izuku. I was sitting near the faux weapon I was tasked with keeping away from the '_hero team_' until the timer ran out. Kiyo, of course, had objections.

'_You should have gone with the blonde. At least you'd get to witness a fight. Even that level of experience will help,' _she told me via our shared mind. I closed my eyes for a moment.

"There's two. I can fight the girl," I muttered. Bakugou and I were against not only Midoriya but Uraraka Ochaco as well. I sighed through my nostrils. As I did so, I caught a whiff of a scent that wasn't too far. It was new.

"We have company..."

"How did you know I was here?" a girl with brown hair and a Neopolitan-coloured costume walked out of her hiding place.

"Call it a justified hunch," I shrugged. Uraraka alerted Midoriya of our location, using an earpiece which we were all given by All Might. I saw her nod then focus her attention back on me. I had no idea what her quirk was, so I decided to stay alert and cautious. I was going to speak but a sudden large rumble shook the building.

'_An explosion..._' Kiyo muttered. I closed my eyes and sighed.

"He'll bring the building down, I'm sure of it..." I grumbled as I heard footsteps. While I was distracted by Bakugou's blast, Uraraka had jumped up and floated over me.

"So...that's your quirk..." I mumbled, simply staring at her.

'_Get her!_' Kiyo shouted. I narrowed my eyes as I leapt into action. I spun around and tried to grab Uraraka. I knew I couldn't catch her, so I decided to move the weapon away with my tail before she could get any closer.

The brunette fell to the ground, tumbling a few feet before crashing into a wall. I cocked an eyebrow. There was a pause, where Uraraka had gotten up and gained a fiercely determined look.

'_Brace yourself,_' Kyo suddenly warned. I was about to ask her what she meant when Uraraka began to act.

"Okay!" she said, putting her hands on a pillar next to her. I widened my eyes a bit. The floor beneath us had exploded and the shockwave blew my cloak around my body. I got low to the ground and swayed my tail back and forth. I use the movement of my tail to balance myself.

I actually learned that move back in Primary School, when we did a project on animals. I had researched that cheeta's swing their tails to balance themselves while running. Figured it would come in handy so I used it...

'_The girl!_' Kiyo shouted inside my head. I widened my eyes as I looked forward. Uraraka had used her quirk to improvise an attack. She picked up the pillar she was holding and used it to throw debris towards me. I managed to use my tail and knock it away but a few still hit me. I furrowed my eyebrows, knowing my next move had to be fast.

"Kiyo, help me out here," I bit my thumb, taking in some blood. I felt my quirk activate. Blue-coloured flames burst to life on the end of my tail and horns. I narrowed my eyes and clenched my fists.

'_Wait! It's not enough-_' I jumped from the piece of the debris I was on. As I was in the air, I shot blue flames out of my hands to throw me onto Uraraka, or at least the weapon. When only a tiny spark came out, I looked back to my hands.

"Damn it," I spat before I fell down the hole created by the explosion. I groaned as I landed on my back with a hard thud. After managing to roll onto my side, I noticed that I landed right behind Bakugou.

For a while, all I could see was smoke and dust, but when it cleared, I could see Midoriya with two injured arms. One was badly burnt and the other seemed to be completely broken. The green-haired boy collapsed after saying a few words. Then, I realized something.

"You screwed me up," I mumbled.

'_That was all you. I'm only able to use so much power and that was a small amount of blood,_' Kiyo explained. I sighed.

"Hero...Hero team...Wins!" All Might's announcement made my head hurt. I groaned as I closed my eyes. A nap was definitely in order...

**Later...**

I was getting ready to leave. Almost all the kids had already left, anyway, and there was no point in sticking around. Ashido Mina, a pinkette I had met briefly on my first day, walked up to me with a big grin.

"Good job, Anzai! That fire thing you did with your tail looked so cool!" she complimented cheerfully.

"Not really...But thank you," I gave her an appreciative nod.

"What kind of quirk do you have, anyway?" the outgoing girl asked. I froze.

"O-Oh," I stuttered as I became tense. I was wishing Kiyo would help me with a smooth transition for our conversation but she had been silent since I blamed her for my failure. I did feel bad about that but I wanted to wait for her ad I to, at least, be on speaking terms.

"Excuse me..." I mumbled as I hurried out of the room. I passed Midoriya in the hallway as I was on my way out. I saw him look at me and I spun around to face him.

"Good job today. That power you have is something else," I nodded before continuing my escape. Once I was outside, I stood behind a tree off to the side of the courtyard and sighed.

'_Calm down, you'll have a panic attack_.'

"Kiyo...You've been quiet," I looked back to my shadow. She hadn't talked since my match with Midoriya and Uraraka...

'_Listen, Hotaru..._' I heard Kiyo sigh, '_This is a codependent life we live. You're my key to the world outside of that stupid temple and I give you power. We have to communicate_.'

I raised an eyebrow, "What?"

'_Earlier when you said I screwed you up? I didn't. If you had waited, I could have helped you, but you acted on your own accord. The seal only gives me so much power. If you want more power, you'll have to get stronger. It's as simple as that,_' Kiyo's tone bothered me. I narrowed my eyes.

"So, you're calling me weak?" I glared at my shadow. The only response I got was silence. The red orbs were gone, meaning Kiyo had her eyes closed.

"Fine."

"I'll train...But don't think I'll be releasing the seal or anything any time soon," I had come to accept the fact that Kiyo was now refusing to talk to me.

With my mind finally quiet, I was able to listen in on the conversation Midoriya and Bakugou were having. Midoriya had just run out of the school to catch Bakugou, only to get yelled at.

"My quirk is something I received from someone else." My eyes widened. Was he serious?

"I can't say who I got it from, but it's like a story out of comic books, except it's true," the green-haired boy said. He's...like me? He understands...

"On top of that, I still can't control it properly. It's just a borrowed power that I haven't made my own, yet. That's why...I tried to beat you without using it. In the end, I couldn't win and had to rely on it," he looked like he was about to start crying or pass out again. I can't say I looked any different...His words hit too close to home.

"What the hell is that?"

"'_Borrowed power_'? You're talking nonsense," Bakugou didn't believe him.

"What are you trying to do, make me out to be more of a fool than you already have, huh? What are you trying to say? Today I lost to you...that's all it was..." the blonde looked like he was gonna explode.

"As I watched the ice guy, I thought, '_I can't beat him!_'. I ended up agreeing with what the ponytail girl said! Damn it! Damn it, damn it!" Bakugou began to yell.

"I'm just getting started, you hear?! I _will_ become number one!" he had blown his fuse. I sighed as I leaned against the tree I was hiding behind. I have to admit, his determination was very admirable. Stupid, but admirable.

"There he is!"

I jumped as All Might came barreling out of the school. I covered my ears and winced at his volume.

"Why is everyone so goddamn loud?" I groaned.

All Might had tried to give Bakugou a pep talk but failed. When the hero's attention was turned to Midoriya, I walked out of my hiding place, attempting to sneak away and go home unnoticed.

"Miss Anzai!"

'_Shit_.'

"Do you mind telling me why you were hiding?" All Might asked in his booming voice. A bead of sweat fell down my forehead as I sat there in silence. After a moment, I swallowed the lump in my throat and spoke up.

"G-Goodnight, Sir," I bowed at the waist before running out of the school's gates. I sighed.

"This damned school is going to be the death of me."


	3. Strange

**Chapter 3**

**3rd P.O.V**

"This damned school is going to be the death of me," Hotaru groaned as she looked up to the cloudy sky. She let out a long sigh before moving her feet. When she began walking, she found herself going in the same direction as Bakugou. She stared at him with a curious glance, intrigue clear in her eyes. She wanted to learn more about the loud blonde.

Just seeing his last interaction with Midoriya was enough to tell anyone to leave him alone. Hotaru, however, wanted to see how things were going on his end. Curiosity killed the cat, but not the snake-human hybrid.

"Quit following me," Bakugou said after a while. Hotaru frowned.

"I'm just going home," she muttered quietly. Bakugou tsked and Hotaru rolled her eyes.

"Whatever," the blonde grumbled. Hotaru sighed.

"I saw and heard everything," she admitted. Bakugou was unphased and kept walking.

"That's none of your business," he spat. The purple-haired girl behind him cocked an eyebrow.

"Maybe he wasn't lying. Maybe...Midoriya did get his power from someone else..."

She received no reply.

"Maybe he's just a scared kid with a strength he doesn't know how to control," she narrowed her eyes.

"Maybe he hit his head too hard when he fell to the ground," she shrugged. Bakugou was starting to walk noticeably faster. Hotaru took a deep breath in through her nostrils.

'_You want me to train? Want me to get stronger? Well, my dear Kiyo, here's step one...Confidence. I gotta learn to speak up, right?_'

"Maybe you're frightened by his newfound strength," she tensed up as Bakugou stopped suddenly walking. He slightly turned his head, looking at her from over his shoulder as his eye twitched. Hotaru kept her composure as their scarlet eyes met. He was definitely more intimidating than Hotaru initially thought.

"Fuck off," Bakugo's words were dripping with venom. Hotaru was starting to regret trying to be more confident. The girl sighed.

"Just saying it's possible...After all, I do know a thing or two about borrowed power," she shrugged. Bakugou turned around to face her fully. His eyes narrowed.

"You're just trying to make me look like an idiot, like Deku. You think if you can make me believe you, you can start messing with me. I'm not stupid, Lizard Girl," Bakugou spat.

"It's Anzai. Anzai Hotaru."

"Why the fuck should I care?!" Bakugou asked with a scowl.

"Why would I want to mess with you? As you stated earlier, I don't know you. Seeing how I don't know what you're capable of, it wouldn't be a good idea to pick sides or piss you off," Hotaru said with a blank expression. Her answer only pissed Bakugou off furthermore.

"Whatever..." the blonde turned around. Once his eyes left Hotaru, she let out a relieved sigh. Bakugou began to walk again.

"Thanks," Hotaru mumbled so quietly that the boy in front of her could barely hear her. She got an over-the-shoulder glance from Bakugou in response.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he grumbled.

"You've helped me out in ways your tiny brain couldn't possibly understand," Hotaru smiled before continuing to walk onwards, her house awaiting.

**Later...**

"Kiyo, I just talked to a hot-headed kid like it was nothing!" Hotaru giggled with a proud expression on her face. She was like a child who had just gotten to pet a fluffy puppy.

'_Congratulations. If I had hands I would clap...but very slowly,_' Kiyo deadpanned. Hotaru rolled her eyes but kept smiling. Her happy demeanour faded when a loud crash sounded from the living room. The purple-haired teen sighed as her excitement was drained.

"Mother's home..."

Hotaru walked into the living room to find her mother, a partially spilt wine glass, and a flipped coffee table. The fifteen-year-old sighed.

"Oh..._You're_ back," her mother, Anzai Satomi, narrowed her eyes. She sloppily stood up, pushing the coffee table off her and dusting herself off.

"I need you to clean this up and go get me some-hic-crackers. I'm providing for the church's communion," she dug some money out of her purse and handed it to Hotaru. The teen watched her mother attempt to traverse the stairs.

"And don't think of going anywhere else! Just to the store and back!" Satomi slurred before slamming her door shut.

Hotaru sighed through her nostrils as she stared at the hallway leading to her mother's room. She silently shook her head as she felt something that could only be described as emptiness. This was her home life. One of the better days, anyway...

"At least it'll be a relatively quiet night," Hotaru mumbled as she put her mother's money in the pocket of her school uniform.

'_I don't see why you put up with her,_' Kiyo growled. Hotaru took a deep breath as she closed her eyes.

"She's all I have, Kiyo," she opened them and walked to the back door.

'_Use some of that courage you had when you talked to the blonde and stand up to her,'_ Kiyo suggested. Hotaru pursed her lips.

"That was a spur of the moment thing. His speech had me in a mood," she muttered, a light blush consuming the colour in her cheeks.

_'You forget I can hear your thoughts. I know what mood he got you in,_' the smug tone in Kiyo's words made Hotaru stop. Her eyebrows lifted.

"It was just inspiring, is all," she glared at her shadow. The red orbs narrowed.

'_Surprisingly...I'm going to have to agree with you,_' Kiyo admitted reluctantly. Hotaru shook her head as a smile tugged at her lips.

**...**

Hotaru soon made it back to her house, putting the communion wafers on the table before letting out an exasperated sigh. Thinking over the events of the day, she went to clean up her mother's mess.

'_So, want to share any thoughts about your new school?_' Kiyo asked. Hotaru raised an eyebrow.

"Why? You can hear them, can't you?" she asked with a little more sarcasm than intended. She once again picked up the box of crackers.

_'Sometimes I choose to and sometimes I don't,_' Kiyo was very clearly annoyed. After a short moment of silence, Hotaru sighed

"I think you were right," Hotaru sighed. The red orbs in her shadow widened slightly.

"I think I should have waited to act and I just wanted to do what I thought was best. If I had thought it through for a little while longer, I would have been able to stop Uraraka," she admitted. Kiyo went quiet as her host walked upstairs to her mother's room. The purple-haired teen quietly opened the door and peeked inside.

Satomi was passed out, left foot and arm hanging off the bed. She also had a trial of drool trickling down her cheek and a spilt glass of wine on her bed. Hotaru placed the crackers by her mother's purse. When she shut the door and walked back in the foyer, she let out a deep sigh.

"That's a record. Took her less than thirty minutes to fall asleep," she forced out a small chuckle. There was a long silence.

'_I apologize, Hotaru. I guess I have been a little on edge this week. To be completely truthful, I feel a big change coming_,' Kiyo muttered quietly. Hotaru raised an eyebrow.

"You mean the school? You're worried about the _hero_ school?" she asked. Kiyo hesitated.

_'No...It's something else. I feel proud that you've decided to go to this school, however...I feel as if it's going to change you,_' she sounded very unsure. Her tone didn't seem to be one of worry, but more like a warning.

"Well, I hope so! I saved up to go to this school for years, so I really hope it'll change me. Maybe...make Mom see the good in me..." the girl's voice trailed off.

Kiyo sighed, '_Let's just ope it's for the better..._'

**The Next Day...**

"How would you describe All Might's teaching methods?!"

"Is All Might a good teacher?"

"What's it like learning from the top-ranked hero?!"

Reporters were shouting over each other. Hotaru felt her sweat fall as her wide-eyes looked from standing in the centre of the Press' huddled group. She began to panic.

"A-All Might?" she stumbled on her words.

"Are All Might's teachings just like everyone thinks they are?" a reporter asked shoved a microphone into Hotaru's face. The teen thought back to the prior day's lessons. All Might was a good teacher and even managed to keep the class's attention for the whole period.

"He's an...a man with..." she felt her throat dry as she attempted to answer.

"Is he-Hey!" a lady shouted as Hotaru felt a sudden tug on her uniform's collar. She yelped as someone pulled her away from the reporters. When she and her saviour were safely inside, she let out an exasperated sigh.

"Thanks...I-" she froze when she came face to face with Bakugou. He was looking away from her but she kept starring at him.

"Bakugou?" she asked, unsure of if she was seeing correctly.

"Don't," the blonde spat before walking away.

"What?" Hotaru blinked in confusion. Hotaru blankly stared down the hallway that Bakugou disappeared down.

"What was that about...?"

**...**

**Thanks for reading, Loves! **

**Special thanks to...**

_**Wolf-Shire Demons**_


	4. Panic! Wait, don't?

**Chapter 4**

**3rd P.o.V**

Hotaru had spent the whole day sneaking glances in Bakugou's direction. It would be a tough case to crack, but she was set on figuring him out. Kiyo told her to stop worrying about boys and actually apply herself in the school she worked so hard to enrol in.

It was currently lunch and the loud ringing of a bell caused Hotaru to snap herself out of her thoughts and away from her food. She dropped the rice that she was about to put in her mouth and shut her eyes tight, covering her sensitive ears.

**"There is a level three security breach. All students please evacuate outdoors promptly."**

'_Hotaru, go!_' Kiyo had to shout before Hotaru started moving. She followed some finicky students to the halls, instantly being swept up by the current of kids who were rushing to the exit.

"What the-ow!" Hotaru snapped. Being thrown around was starting to irritate her. Her amped up senses hadn't done her any favours, either.

'_Hotaru, listen to me...Focus on my voice. Hotaru? Hotaru!'_ Kiyo tried to calm the girl down but she had already fallen. Literally. Hotaru landed on the ground and got trampled by the stampede of students. The current of the bodies didn't stop, forcing various people to push past the fragile teen. She was kicked a lot...

She found a wall and started to crawl towards it, trying her best to just make her way through the crowd.

"Sorry, Kiyo...I-I can't...I can't do this," she began to tear up as she reached the wall. She curled up, holding her knees close to her chest. She tried to hide as the shouts and movements of the hoard of kids had brought her to tears.

"Everyone, everything's fine!"

Everything stopped.

The students stopped moving and all sound ceased.

"It's just the media! Nothing to panic about, everything's fine. This is U.A. Let us all act in a way befitting the best of the best," Class 1-A's representative, Tenya Iida had single-handedly calmed down the entire herd of students.

Hotaru whipped away her tears as she looked up. She would have smiled at Iida's sudden take of charge, but she didn't feel it. She felt weak and mad at herself, knowing she was overcome by something this small. She held herself tighter, her nails making indentations on her skin.

As the students were filed back into the cafeteria, the frightened fifteen-year-old stayed curled up in a ball. She took deep breaths as Kiyo attempted to bring her back to her senses. A few moments later, she heard approaching footsteps.

"Get up."

"You're so fucking useless," Bakugou clicked his tongue before pulling Hotaru to her feet. Her legs were shaking as she nodded a silent thank you.

"You better not be hurt," the blonde boy furrowed his eyebrows and growled. Hotaru took a deep breath and swallowed the lump in her throat.

"I'm okay..." she mumbled quietly.

"Bullshit," Bakugou roughly grasped her hands, causing the feeble girl to wince. She was bruised and had some cuts, a few of them lightly bleeding.

"It's fine," she jerked her hand back. She was going to thank Bakugou once more and turn away but her arm was grabbed. He was pulling her.

"Wh-" "You're going to see the goddamned nurse," the loud blonde stopped in front of Recovery Girl's small infirmary. Hotaru sighed. There was this warmth in her chest as she was dragged to the nurse. She had felt it when Bakugou had helped her earlier that morning, too.

'_Appreciate this feeling, girl,_' Kiyo muttered quietly. Hotaru looked to her shadow, the red orbs kindly glowing. She sighed.

"Thanks..." she mumbled, her face growing a light hue of pink.

**Later...**

Bakugou sat at his desk, turning his head towards the door every time a student walked in. He was waiting for Hotaru.

Why, though?

Why the hell should he care about some weak girl who, since the beginning of school, has barely used any of her power?

The only reason he approached her was that he felt calm when talking to her. The other day, when leaving school, her conversation with him had somehow made him less mad. Of course, he wouldn't admit it, but that's why. He had convinced himself that he needed to figure out what the hell the girl was doing to him.

He watched the girl in question walk into the room and sit down. She blankly stared at her lightly bandaged hands as she sat. Bakugou tsked before getting up and walking over to her.

"Lizard Girl," he snapped her back into reality

"Yeah?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.

"So?" Bakugou glared at her with narrowed eyes. She gave him a confused stare. The blonde scoffed.

"How dense are you?" he spat. A lightbulb went off in Hotaru's mind.

"Oh...I'm fine," she held up her hands to show that she was fine. Bakugou furrowed his eyebrows.

"Just some scratches," she put her hands down with a sad glint in her eyes.

"Don't worry about me," Bakugou could barely pick up her words but when he did, he furrowed his eyebrows.

"Who the fuck said I was worried about you?!" he shouted. Hotaru raised an eyebrow as their classmates looked towards them.

'_Loud one, isn't he?'_ Kiyo mocked. Hotaru rolled her eyes, a newly-formed headache starting to cause her pain.

"Causing a scene is just your nature, isn't it?" she asked, slightly pissed off.

"Do you wanna go, Lizard Girl?!" Bakugou asked through grit teeth. Hotaru crossed her arms, clearly not in the mood.

"Let me know when and I'll be happy to knock some sense into that tiny brain of yours. Until then, back up and leave me alone," the annoyed tone in her voice was more noticeable now. Bakugou finally realized everyone's peering eyes. He looked around the room and mumbled something intangible as he walked back to his desk.

"Not gonna lie...That was kind of badass," a kid with a black streak in his orange-ish-yellow hair said as everyone went back to their conversations. Uraraka walked over.

"Yeah, the way you managed to shut him down like that was awesome!" her admiration was visible in her eyes. Bakugou watched people approach Hotaru and begin to talk to her.

For a moment, he regretted yelling and causing everyone to stare. If he had kept his mouth shut, he could have talked to her more and maybe figure out what's so special about her.

"Shit," he cursed under his breath as he pushed the thoughts of her out of his mind. he leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head, and closed his eyes. Little did he know, Hotaru prefered talking to him rather than the others. He was still interesting and she honestly didn't want all the attention, either. Her head hurt and she simply wanted to be left alone. Luckily, Aizawa walked in and the students returned to their seats before the purple-haired girl could explode.

During the class, Hotaru couldn't help but notice Bakugou sneaking glances towards her. He faced forward when he saw she had caught him. She did the same. Aizawa finally began to explain what the lesson for the day was. Class 1-A was to do some rescue training. Hotaru sighed, figuring it would let Kiyo exercise her powers and not hurt anyone.

"You can decide if you want to wear your costume or not this time. Because there are probably costumes that limit your abilities, too," Aizawa said, revealing the storage area for their costumes.

"The training will take place off-campus, so you'll be taking a bus. That's all. Start getting ready," he ordered before leaving the room. Hotaru silently got her costume on then waited outside with the others.

**On The Bus...**

Hotaru's headache had yet to subside and she quickly got bored while on the bus. She decided to depend on the group of her classmates in front of her to cure her boredom.

She had been seated next to Bakugou, who was looking out the window. She wanted to talk to him, but there were too many people around them and he would only yell. She didn't need that at the moment. Bakugou looked over to the group when his name was mentioned.

"Well, if you're talking about flashy and strong, it's gotta be Todoroki or Bakugou, though, huh?" Kirishima spoke while looking at the blonde who clicked his tongue.

"Bakugou's always so mad, doesn't seem like he'll be popular, though," Asui noted. Hotaru held back a laugh as Bakugou jumped from his seat.

"What the hell?! You wanna fight?!" he shouted, hurting Hotaru's ears. The small girl flinched but no one noticed.

"See."

"We haven't known each other for that long, so it's amazing that everyone knows his personality is crap steeped in sewage," Kaminari said, smirking.

"What's with that vocabulary, bastard?! I'll kill you!"

"Oi, can it!"

The attention was now drawn to Hotaru. She was rubbing her temples, eyes closed, and face scrunched up in annoyance. Her splitting headache caused her to get louder than Bakugou. She had to quiet him down some way and yelling over him was easiest. Having heightened senses once again proved to be a pain in the ass for the teenaged girl.

"Shut up and sit down, damn it. You're too loud..." she said. Bakugou grit his teeth in response to the purple-haired female's order.

"Like hell! You don't tell me what to do," he retorted. Hotaru furrowed her eyebrows as she gave him a piercing glare from the corner of her eyes. With a swift smack from her tail, Bakugou's legs buckled and made him collapse back into his seat.

It was silent for a bit before a few of Hotaru's fellow students began laughing. She opened her eyes and looked around the bus, realizing almost all eyes were on her. She put her head into her hands and groaned.

'_You did this to yourself_,' Kiyo muttered. Her host sighed.

"Now that I think about it, Hotaru might have a flashy quirk, too. I saw a bit of fire during the indoor training," Asui voiced her theory. Hotaru let out another sluggish groan as she looked up. Ashido raised an eyebrow as she made the decision to voice a concern that had been lingering in the back of her mind.

"Speaking of...What is your quirk, Anzai? I tried to ask you the other day, but you ran off," the pinkette said. Hotaru's sweat fell.

'_She clearly didn't get the hint,_' she grumbled internally. Kiyo simply chuckled.

'_As I said earlier, you did this to yourself,_' she said before going quiet. Hotaru groaned.

"Well...You see, I-" "We're here. Stop messing around."

**-.-**

**I'm just gonna say it. Hotaru is possibly my most personal OC. She's like me in more ways than one (Panic Attacks, hatred of loud noises and lots of people, introvert, etc.) **

**I'm trying to do my best to fit her well into the story while not changing too much. I would like it if you all could let me know how I'm doing. I'm kind of worried I'm trying too hard or something...Anyway, thanks for reading so far.**

**Special thanks to:**

**Sb2282490**

**acidicpoet**

**Otaku Princess 04**


	5. Feral

**Chapter 5**

**3rd P.o.v**

Hotaru marvelled at the dome-shaped building as the class exited the bus. They were greeted by Space Hero, Thirteen. Hotaru's eyes sparkled as Thirteen spoke. The pro specialized in rescue operations. From the sound of it, the other students loved Thirteen, too. As they were led inside, Thirteen explained the various disasters simulated inside; natural and man-made.

"It's called the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, or USJ for short!" Thirteen said before whispering something into Aizawa's ear. Hotaru could have listened to what it was but she didn't care and wanted to respect their privacy.

"Shall we begin?" Aizawa asked. Thirteen nodded.

"Everyone, I'm sure you are aware of my quirk, Black Hole. I can suck up anything and turn it into dust. It has helped me save many lives but it's also a power that can easily kill just as easily. Some of you have quirks like that, right?" they faced the class. Hotaru looked to the ground, a hint of sadness in her eyes.

"In a superhuman society, personal quirks have been certified and stringently regulated, so it doesn't seem to be a problem at first glance. However, please don't forget that there are many quirks that can kill with one wrong step," the warning from the pro hero hit the girl hard.

'_Kill__..._' Hotaru absentmindedly repeated to herself in her head as she looked down at her hands.

'_Chin up. You are good and anyone who can't see that is a fool,_' Kiyo attempted to cheer up her host.

"With Aizawa's physical fitness test, you found out the possibility of your own hidden powers, and with All Might's person-to-person combat training, I think you experienced the dangers of using your quirks against others. This class is a fresh start," Thirteen said. Hotaru felt a bit relieved when she heard this. A fresh start was all she ever wanted.

"You shall learn how to use your quirks to save people's lives. You do not have powers so you can harm others. I hope you leave here with the understanding that you have powers in order to _help others_. That is all. Thank you," Thirteen bowed and the students cheered. Hotaru couldn't help but smile.

"This is _exactly_ what I need..." she mumbled before sighing and closing her eyes. She scrunched up her face in pain as her headache suddenly peaked. It was so much worse than before. She went to massage her temples but realized that the pain wasn't coming from an internal source...it was the seal.

The seal that held Kiyo inside Hotaru, or rather, the lock to her prison cell. Located in Hotaru's eye, the seal takes the form of a triquetra. These three interlaced loops were a mystery to Hotaru and Kiyo refused to talk about it unless her host planned on breaking it. Hotaru was afraid to do so, not knowing what the consequences would be. She simply left it to the unknown and rarely brought it up.

"Alright, first-" the teacher stopped when the lights suddenly went out. They flickered a few times then turned back on. Once everyone could see again, their eyes were drawn to the purple, smoke-like, figure that had appeared. Aizawa's eyes widened as he watched villains pour out of the portal. In the centre was a man with light blue hair and...hands...covering his face. He was most likely the leader.

"Kiyo...What's happening?" Hotaru mumbled as she clenched her head in pain. Kiyo was silent for a moment.

'_I don't know...'_

"Gather together and don't move. Thirteen, protect the students!" Aizawa ordered. His sense of urgency had everyone on edge. Midoriya attempted to take a step forward.

"Don't move!" Aizawa shouted, causing Hotaru to flinch. Everyone froze when they realized that the situation was very much real.

"Those are villains..." multiple gasps were heard, all coming from Class 1-A. Hotaru widened her eyes as she used her heightened senses to hear the leader speak.

"Thirteen and Eraser Head, huh? The teacher's schedule we received the other day said All Might was supposed to be here..." the man muttered as more villains walked out of the smoke.

"They want All Might," Hotaru was somehow able to focus on Aizawa. She was scared out of her mind and her head was pounding but she did her best to put on a calm face. This wasn't the time for her to pity herself by thinking she was being weak. She had to stay composed. Aizawa nodded, taking in the information.

"Teacher, what about the trespasser sensors?" Yaoyorozu approached Thirteen.

"We have them, of course, but..." the hero's voice trailed off.

"They have someone with a quirk that can keep the sensors from responding. An isolated area separated from the main campus during the time when a class is supposed to be here...They might be fools but they're not dumb," said a boy whose name Hotaru had learned was Todoroki.

'_They wanted to draw out All Might...by attacking his students..._' the purple-haired girl thought.

"Thirteen, start the evacuation. Try calling the school. If these villains had something to counteract the sensors, it's possible someone with radio-wave-type powers is interfering. Kaminari, try contacting the school with your quirk, too," Aizawa ordered. Kaminari was slightly surprised he was called out to act but he swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded.

"Yessir."

"What about you?" Midoriya asked, very clearly worried.

"Will you fight by yourself? With that many, even if you can erase their quirks...Eraser Head's fighting style is capturing after erasing the enemy's quirk! A frontal battle is..." he felt that he had no need to finish his sentence.

"You can't be a hero with just one trick," was what Aizawa muttered before jumping into battle. Hotaru stared at her teacher. She was in awe of his skills and had never actually seen a hero work up close. She was snapped out her trance when the other students started running for the exit.

Right as they were getting close to the doors, everyone stopped. The black smoke-like figure that had brought the villains was now in front of them.

"Nice to meet you. We are the League of Villains. It may be presumptuous of us, but we have invited ourselves into the home of heroes, UA High School, in order to have All Might, the Symbol of Peace, take his last breath," the villain said. Hotaru's throat went dry as he spoke.

"I believe All Might should have been here. Has there been some kind of change?" the dark figure got no response.

"Well, that is neither here or there. This is the part I am to play..." he narrowed his yellow, glowing, eyes as Thirteen released the caps off their fingertips, ready to use their quirk. All of a sudden, Kirishima and Bakugou rushed forward.

"Idiots," Hotaru spat as she watched them attack. Due to the power of the combined powers, dust and smoke rose up around the students. Hotaru coughed before cursing under her breath.

"Crap..." she mumbled as she waited for it to settle.

Once visible, the villain spoke, "Oh, dear. That's dangerous." He had gone unharmed. Hotaru furrowed her eyebrows.

"That's right...Even if you are students, you are excellent golden eggs," she was unsure if the figure's words were meant to be a compliment or not.

"Get back, you two!" Thirteen shouted at Bakugou and Kirishima.

"My job is to scatter you all...and torture you to death!" the villain's smoke-like body surrounded the students.

"What the hell...?" was all Hotaru could quietly say before she felt the ground beneath her disappear. She realized what was happening and let out a groan as she held her pounding head.

'_Warping,_' Kiyo completed her thought.

**Collapsed Zone...**

Within a few seconds, Hotaru was slammed onto a hard surface. She grumbled some swears as the pain from her rough landing set in.

'_Get up and get a bearing of your surroundings,_' Kiyo ordered with a newfound sense of urgency.

"Okay, okay...Give me a second," Hotaru sighed as she sat up slowly, resting her back on a broken pillar next to her.

"It looks like...a collapsed building," she said, noticing piles of rubble, exposed support beams, and a few broken pillars. Shadows were cast upon one half of the room due to the light coming from the wall of glass on the other side of the room. Most of it was shattered but some pieces were still intact.

Hotaru noticed a warm liquid drip from her head. She put her fingers to her forehead. The impact of the fall had caused her to bleed. She sighed once again, but this time it was out of relief. The seal had stopped hurting! However, she had little time to figure out why it had even caused her pain in the first place. A large silhouette began walking towards her, slowly appearing from out of the shadows. Hotaru got up to her feet.

"What the..." she mumbled, noticing the gas that had begun to fill the room.

'_Hold your breath_!' Kiyo dmanded. Hotaru did as told. She used her narrowed eyes to make out as much of the figure as she could. It had something on it's back that was pouring out the gas that filled the room. Hotaru watched it grow closer then she realized...

'_Shit!_'

She was out of breath. She shut her eyes tight as she braced herself for spontaneous combustion or something along those lines. However, when she took a breath, nothing happened. She raised an eyebrow in confusion. The figure had come closer, looming a foot above Hotaru's four-foot-nine inch frame.

"You're not that intima-" Hotaru suddenly began to laugh uncontrollably.

'_Hotaru?_' Kiyo asked with a concerned yet confused tone.

"I-I'm sorry, Kiyo!" Hotaru spat through her laughing fit.

'_Why are you laughing?_' the spirit was now irritated.

"I don't know," Hotaru chortled as she simply watched the villain walk up to her. Her legs failed, folding underneath her. She fell to the floor, tearful eyes from all her laughing.

"Very powerful Nitrous Oxide," her opponent explained in a gravelly voice. Hotaru could now fully make out his features.

He was a tall, thin, man with dishevelled brown hair. He dawned a gas mask, a grey jumpsuit, and tanks coming out of his back which most likely held the gas that was being exerted into the room. Somehow, Hotaru found him funny. She had inhaled so much gas that _everything_ was funny.

'_Laughing gas..._' Kiyo mumbled, remembering it as the drug they used the time Hotaru had her wisdom teeth removed. She remembered how much of a nightmare she was. Actually, it was the punishment that Satomi gave her afterwards that Kiyo remembered most...

"Oh, look! Tall Man's coming to get us! Run, Kiyo!" Hotaru said before exploding with laughter. She held her stomach as it began to cramp.

'_I don't have a body, you idiot,_' Kiyo sighed. The gas began to disappear, but the effects still lingered in Hotaru.

"Quit talking to yourself. Cooperate and this will go a lot smoother," the man said as he removed his gas mask. Hotaru could only laugh at his sadistic grin. He reached his hand out to grab her, but she rolled out from under him. She got to her feet and let out a short chuckle.

"Gotta be quicker than that!" she taunted.

"Even with the gas, you're still moving?" the man had been caught off guard. He inhaled deeply then composed himself and shrugged.

"It doesn't matter. The gas will make you tired soon enough," he approached Hotaru again. He went to grab her a second time, moving faster than before.

"I _said_ you have to be quicker!" Hotaru pouted. The man clicked his tongue.

"I'm not in the mood for games, girl," he spat as he reached out. He managed to grab ahold of Hotaru's hair. She yelped as he lifted her into the air, clawing at his hands and arms. He didn't let go.

"Right. Now, let's get down to business," he regained his sinister, toothy, grin and hurled Hotaru onto the floor with such force that she made a crater. He bent down, pulled her head up by her hair. She was now bleeding from a cut on her head and from her broken nose.

"Still want to laugh?" the man asked in his rough voice as Hotaru let out a small chuckle. He picked her up once again and threw her into the wall, making another indentation.

'_Hotaru, snap out of it_!' Kiyo shouted as Hotaru fell to the ground. She hated being useless. The shadow that was cast upon the back of the room hid Hotaru's body.

"Now, are you going to be a good little girl and come with me? If not I'll have to kill you," the man wnt up to her again.

As he reached for the girl, she instantaneously sprung to life. She jumped up, sinking her teeth into the man's forearm. He howled in pain. Blood seeped from his arm as he attempted to shake Hotaru off. She was persistent, however, and stayed latched on. She was drinking the man's sour blood. It wasn't that she wanted to but she needed ammunition.

"Crazy little shit!" the villain roared, grabbing her and pulling her off. The teen took a chunck of his arm with her. He howled in pain, veins, blood vessels, and a bit of bone exposed on his forearm.

"Radial artery, bitch!" Hotaru spat with a giggle. She was now the one who now had a sadistic grin on her face, which was caked with blood.

"How did the gas wear off so fast?!" the man shouted, wide eyes warily watching the girl. Hotaru chuckled.

"It hasn't," she said. She licked the blood off her lips then shook her head and made a bleh sound.

"Your blood is like eating a metal pipe! Jesus, man, eat less iron, _please_. That can't be healthy," she tried to rid herself the metallic taste in her mouth which usually wasn't prominent when she drank blood. Then again, she usually just used her own.

"Wh-What the hell are you?!" the man asked, clearly terrified. Hotaru cackled.

"In your words, I'm a '_little shit_'," she looked up, blood-red eyes glowing, resembling Kiyo's. The tips of her tail and horns sparked before bursting to life. The blue flames were also more vibrant. She gave the man a creepily cheery smile.

"I'm just a student from UA," she giggled before letting her expression turn dark.

"And if you ever come after me or my classmates again, I'll bite off more than just your arm," she spat. She smirked then breathed out a large, blue-flamed, attack in the man's direction. He attempted to dodge but ended up getting his arm burned in the process. He screamed, his scorched arm completely blackened.

"I'm gonna kill you!" he roared as he rushed towards Hotaru. She went to dodge the attack but the man tricked her by pivoted on his foot and got a solid punch in on her gut. She spat out a little blood before flying into the wall. She began to laugh again.

"I don't think so," she giggled. She went to stand up but collapsed instead.

"Eh...? Why am I suddenly...so tired?" she yawned as she felt her eyelids grow heavy. The villain before her cackled.

"The gas has anaesthesic properties. I guess it's finally setting in," he said. Hotaru struggled to stand up. She couldn't move and felt like she was going to pass out. The dark-haired man walked over and leaned over her, using his hands to push her face into the floor.

"Who's laughing now?" he roughly whispered into her ear.

"Hands off, asshole!"

_**Boom!**_

Hotaru felt the weight of the man leave her body. She wearily opened one eye. Much to her surprise, Bakugou had appeared in the room. Hotaru had failed to notice the door behind him when she first entered. His explosion shot the villain into a wall, knocking him out.

"Blondie!" Hotaru called, still unable to move.

"Get up, Lizard Girl," Bakugou ordered. Hotaru gave him a smile.

"I can't," she said. Bakugou clicked his tongue.

"Fine," he spat. Hotaru raised an eyebrow as the blonde walked over to her and picked her up, throwing her body over his shoulder. She chuckled.

"What the hell is so funny?!" Bakugou furrowed his eyebrows. Hotaru closed her eyes.

"Nothing...Goodnight," she let her head fall and closed her eyes. Bakugou rolled his eyes.

"How the hell are you already asleep?" he asked but got no response. He sighed and continued his trek back to the lower level of the building where Kirishima was. The blonde had heard the screaming and offered to check it out. When he found Hotaru biting off part of a man's arm, he was taken back. He was going to interfere but was put into a trance by her rabid-like stage.

Now, he was walking down the stairs and couldn't help but look over his shoulder at the girl as she slept. He mentally cursed before setting her down then picking her back up, bridal style this time.

"Fuck..."

**-.-**

**I really enjoyed writing this chapter! My first decent fight scene.**

**Special thanks to...**

**Penguin Thing**

**maddiejade**

**REVIEWS •-•**

**JustUsingARandomName**\- I'm glad you like my story and thanks for the advice. I was worried about starting this story because I only had a few ideas at the start and once I started rewatching the show, I found myself wanting to change just about everything, so it was hard at first. Anyway, thanks for reviewing! :)


	6. Sometimes Quiet Is Violent

**Chapter 6**

**3rd P.O.V**

Hotaru shielded her eyes as the power used by both sides created a shockwave-like wind. The shock absorption of the large, monster-like, villain was tested by All Might as he threw punch after punch. Hotaru was speechless as she widened her eyes. She, Bakugou, and Kirishima had escaped the collapsed building simulation they were in and now were witnessing All Might battle the main villains.

"Hey, villain, have you ever heard these words?" All Might asked as he rushed towards the monster, fist reared.

"Go beyond..."

"Plus...Ultra!"

The hit landed! Hotaru's jaw dropped as the large villain was propelled out of the facility and out of sight. The whole building shook. Even the normally cool Todoroki seemed shocked by All Might's display of strength.

"It seems I have gotten weaker...In my prime, it would have taken only five hits..." Hotaru looked to the grinning hero.

"But it took more than three-hundred hits." The look of admiration in Midoriya's eyes when All Might talked was something Hotaru had never experienced herself, but it made her smile.

"Now, villains..." All Might turned towards the two remaining villains. Hotaru's smile faded a bit as she narrowed her eyes.

"I'm sure we'd all like this to end as soon as possible," All Might noted. The villain with light blue hair began to scratch his neck. The revolting sound filled Hotaru's ears, a chill crawling down her spine.

All Might began to taunt the victim, telling him to attack him with his best. Hotaru saw the glint escape from Midoriya's wide eyes as he watched the pro. What had he said or done that caused the boy to worry?

"Midoriya! Anzai! We should get out of here now!" Kirishima suddenly shouted. Hotaru had a concerned look on her face as she starred at the green-haired boy.

"It'll be worse if we get taken hostage, instead," te redhead once again attempted to get the two to fall back. Hotaru went to put a hand on the scared boy's shoulder but stopped when the sound of the villain's neck-scratching returned. She was starting to get pissed off but did her best to hide it.

"If only I had Nomu...That guy would've been able to go up against him without thinking about anything!" the villain muttered. Hotaru figured he was rambling on about the monster All Might just threw into space.

"Shigaraki Tomura! Please calm yourself," the warp gate villain called. The purple-haired teen's eyes narrowed.

"Oi, Lizard Girl! How dense are you?! Hurry up!" Bakugou shouted.

"Midoriya...We _need_ to go," Hotaru said as calmly as she could, finally putting her hand down on Midoriya's shoulder. He didn't flinch. He didn't even blink.

'_This kid...He's terrified..._' the girl thought, softening her gaze. She sighed. This was something she had _definitely_ experienced first hand. _Fear_. _Hopelessness_. The overwhelming anxiety of knowing that there's nothing you can do...

"Midoriya," Hotaru called a little more forcefully, this time. A few mumbles came from Shigaraki, but she didn't care to listen. She cursed herself, wishing she _had_ when he darted towards All Might. The hero stood there, not changing his stance or anything. He just furrowed his eyebrows and let it happen. That's when something finally occured to Hotaru.

'_How much has this fight taken out of him?_'

"Hey!" Hotaru widened her eyed as Midoriya attempted to run towards All Might. She stopped him by grabbing his shoulders and holding him back.

"I have to do something!" Midoriya shouted with tears in his eyes. Hotaru hesitated. Her jaw dropped. This kid was meant to be a hero. His goals were so pure...

"Midoriya..." Hotaru mumbled absentmindedly.

"Please forgive me, Anzai," the green-haired boy looked back to her with a tinge of remorse in his eyes. She gave him a confused look. Suddenly, he elbowed her in the gut and pushed her away. Hotaru gasped for air as she doubled over. Midoriya hadn't used his quirk, but it still hurt.

As Hotaru laid on the ground, she knew there was nothing she could do to stop this boy's determination. He was hero material, for sure. It was clear to see.

"Deku, you damn idiot!" she heard Bakugou shout, now closer to her than before. Hotaru groaned as she tried to sit up. Bakugou, who was now standing next to her, rudely asked if she was fine.

"I'm okay...You have to stop Midoriya. He'll get...killed," she took deep breaths as she replaced the air in her lungs. Bakugou clicked his tongue.

"That damn nerd just punched you and you're worried about him?" he narrowed his eyes. Hotaru looked over to see that Midoriya was safe but on lying the ground. All Might was still standing tall. She flinched and shut her eyes tight as a loud bang suddenly rang through her sensitive ears. Fighting could be heard near the entrance of the USJ.

"Reinforcements..." she sighed in relief.

"Aw, man, they're here...It's game over, now..." Shigaraki sighed as he started to scratch his neck again. Hotaru stared at him. They locked eyes for a second. She didn't know if what she saw was hatred or disappointment. The villain turned back to the warp gate, only to get shot by one of the heroes that had come to help. He fell to his knees before his colleague covered him.

A few seconds later, an injured Thirteen had begun to use their quirk to suck up the two villains. Unfortunately, the warp villain managed to take them away before they could be captured.

"Holy crap..." Hotaru let out an exasperated sigh as Bakugou helped her up. A sudden wave of drowsiness and pain began to set over her. Bakugou felt a bead of sweat fall down his forehead as she fell back to the ground.

"Damn it..." he groaned as he put her on his back.

"That was the most work we've ever done..." she mumbled.

"Yeah, well maybe you should have thought about that when you went all out against that gas freak," Bakugou spat.

"How do you feel, Kiyo?" Hotaru asked quietly. She received no answer. Bakugou gave her a puzzled look as he walked back over to the others.

"Why the hell are you talking to yourself?" he asked.

"Hm?" Hotaru hummed as she peeked one eye open. The red orbs in her shadow were gone. She sighed, closing her eyes.

"We'll talk later, I guess..." she mumbled before falling asleep on Bakugou's back. Her head was rested on his back and her arms hung loosely over his shoulders. The blonde sighed.

"You don't make any sense..."

**The Next Day...**

Hotaru's dull eyes were starring at her folded hands. She had no intention of listening to what Cementoss was teaching. Things has just calmed down after the villain attack and everyone was excited about the upcoming Sports Festival. Everyone except Hotaru...

She dreaded the fact that she was going to participate. They were to get scouted by pro heroes? Yeah, like any of them would want someone with her power. It was too dangerous, even when she was asleep.

When Hotaru had fallen unconscious after the USJ incident, Kiyo took over and simply stared into nothingness. Bakugou had noticed and even told her to stop acting weird. When she was told to go to Recovery Girl's office, she simply shook her head and walked home. She ignored Satomi's constant shouts, receiving a hard backhand from the woman.

'_Where are you...?_' Hotaru's question went unanswered. She closed her eyes for a moment. Kiyo seemed to have disappeared, but Hotaru could still feel her. Had she grown tired of her host? The last person that was able to hold Kiyo was Hotaru's great-grandmother. Even then, she didn't last long...

Hotaru was snapped out of her thoughts by the bell. The class split up into their friend groups to talk about the Sports Festival. Hotaru sighed, shaking her head to clear her mind as some classmates came up to her desk.

"Hey, Anzai! I just want to say you were really cool at the USJ," a familiar spiky red-head approached her, followed by a certain blonde. Hotaru gave them a nod.

"Thanks. You too," she muttered. With a worried expression, Uraraka walked over.

"Are you okay, Hotaru?" she asked. Hotaru paused, giving her a slightly confused stared. The brunette's lips curled into a nervous smile.

"We're friends, aren't we? I figured first names were appropriate..." she pushed her fingertips together. Hotaru let out a sigh.

"Yeah...I guess so...Ochaco," she managed to remember Uraraka's first name.

"Oh, me, too!" Kirishima pointed to himself with his thumb.

"Eijirou," Hotaru nodded. The boy gave her a toothy grin. Hotaru then looked to Bakugou, who had been strangely silent. She thought if her other friends would be called by their first name, why not him, too?

"Bakugou?" she raised an eyebrow. He looked to her from the corner of his eyes, watching Kirishima whisper something into her ear. She held back her laughter.

"Correction..._Katsuki_," she smiled. Bakugou flinched and Uraraka giggled.

"Why the hell did you tell her?!" Bakugou yelled at Kirishima. The redhead gave him a goofy grin.

"We're all friends here," he said with a chuckle. Bakugou grit his teeth as he grabbed Kirishima's collar.

"Damn you," he growled, lifting him up a little. Kirishima began to laugh nervously.

"Relax," Hotaru's light giggle filled the ears of the three before her. They all stopped, staring at her for a moment.

"What?" she starred back. Uraraka and Kirishima grinned. Bakugou simply turned away and crossed his arms.

"No one has ever heard you laugh before," Kirishima explained.

"Yeah, you should do it more!" Uraraka added. Hotaru's cheeks dusted themselves with a light shade of pink.

"U-Uh...Thanks, I guess," she mumbled. Bakugou mumbled something incoherent before letting go of Kirishima. He glared at Hotaru with his red eyes.

"For what little it's worth..." the purple-haired girl looked up at him, "I think Katsuki's a cute name." Her friends paused for a minute before erupting in laughter. Bakugou's face flushed.

"Didn't think I'd ever heard anyone try to consciously compliment this idiot," Kirishima's laughter finally died down. Bakugou clenched his fist.

"What did you call me?!" he glared at Kirishima. Hotaru raised an eyebrow.

"Did I...say something wrong?" she turned to Uraraka who shook her head as the boys fought.

"Bakugou's just an emotional hot-head," the brunette sighed. Bakugou grit his teeth.

"Well, I meant what I said," Hotaru smiled in his direction, causing him to pause and blush again. She felt she could open up her new friends and that's what she planned on doing. Even if the word 'friend' still felt weird to her...

"Whatever," the blonde grumbled, averting his gaze once again.

**-.-**

**I hope so far you all enjoy reading this story and its...okay...chapters.**

**Thanks again, Loves!**

**Special Thanks To...**

**Somerandomdude242**


	7. Just Leave It!

**Chapter 7**

**Hotaru's P.O.V**

I had my headphones in as I walked out of the school. It had taken me longer to leave because of the small crowd of students blocking the way. All of them wanted to see the class that survived a real villain attack. It was very uncomfortable...The only way I got out was by following Katsuki, who already made the other students move for him.

I don't exactly know how I feel about him. I called his name cute. His _name_. Not _him_. I wanted to talk to him and even walked out right behind him, but now I couldn't see him anywhere. I sighed, deciding to get a head start on trying to figure out the other problem at hand.

"Still nothing?" I asked out loud. I got no answer.

"Damn it, Kiyo. Start talking or else I'm gonna lose my-" "There you go again."

I had just reached the front gates. I turned to my left to find Katsuki leaning against the wall. Had he waited for me?

"What?" I blinked.

"You're talking to yourself again," he scoffed. I sighed, understanding what he meant. I figured trying to make excuses was going to get me nowhere. Might as well tell him some of the truth. Make a note of the fact I said _some_.

"I was trying to get Kiyo to talk to me, but she's being an ass," I huffed. His eyebrows furrowed at the name that he must have recognized.

"Who is that?" he asked in a demanding tone. I rolled my eyes.

"The voice inside my head," I tried to make it as simple as I could. I knew his small brain couldn't understand the explanation _I_ was given as a child.

"Quit giving bullshit excuses," Katsuki spat. I narrowed my eyes.

"I'm not making anything up. This is how my quirk works. Kiyo lives within me. I give her blood and she gives me power," I explained. Katsuki paused.

"Is that why you took a chunk out of that prick's arm?" he asked. I instantly knew what he was talking about. My seal started to burn a little. Kiyo must have gone on the offensive after Katsuki's question.

"Y-You saw that?" I asked, face turning beet red. The blonde nodded. I thought back to my very one-sided fight with the gas villain. I hadn't thought anything of it at the time, but while I was getting thrown around, a little flash of yellow had come up. It must have been Katsuki.

"Well...Basically, yeah," I shrugged as I started walking.

"Where do you think you're going? I still have questions!" Katsuki shouted, running after me. I cocked an eyebrow.

"Just walk with me," I shrugged. There was a moment of hesitance from the blonde. I had only gone a few feet when he walked up next to me.

"I'm just here for answers," he reminded me, keeping his eyes away from me. I smirked.

"Ok...Shoot."

**Later...**

**(WARNING: INTENSE THEMES)**

I had already told Katsuki more than I planned on. I didn't want to, but every time I dodged a question or stalled, he would yell. I even let him know we were right in front of my house, but he continued questioning me. So, in the end, Bakugo ended up walking me home and sitting on my couch in exchange for information about my quirk.

"My mother thinks I'm evil and everyone I know has told me I'll never be a hero. That's why I enrolled in UA," I explained. For once, Katsuki was quiet. Whether it was because he was at a loss of words or he was thinking of an insult, I don't know. I started thinking about the kids I used to go to school with. Their teasing. Their laughing...Their words...

"Like hell, you're gonna become a villain!" Katsuki suddenly shouted. I looked at him with a puzzled look as he stood up and slammed his hands on the coffee table.

"Don't let other people tell you what you're gonna become. If they want to scream and shout at you to stop, don't let them! It doesn't matter what stupid power you have! Becoming a hero is _your_ choice, damn it!" my jaw dropped as he glared at me. Was he trying to give me a pep talk? We locked eyes for a moment.

Human Grenade was giving me advice..._Good_ advice...

I was in shock. Why was he being so nice? Why had he followed me home? Why did he want to know about me? Why-

"What's going on?"

_'Shit_.'

My mother stood in the doorway. I closed my mouth and swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat. She snapped her head in my direction ad she sat down her bags.

"I-I can explain," I shot up and out of my seat. My mother glared at me with her hateful eyes.

"You know you're not supposed to bring people here," she spat. I looked to the ground, only watching her feet as she approached me. She grabbed my wrist tightly.

"We have rules here. If you live here, you follow them," she squeezed. I was unable to stop the whimper that escaped my mouth as I felt her nails dig into my skin. She had on acrylics so she might have broken through.

Suddenly, Katsuku grabbed my mother's arm and forced her to let go of me. They glared at each other for a hot moment.

"Why are you looking at her like that?" the blonde asked. I couldn't tell if he was angry or shocked. I gave him a look with my teary eyes.

'_Stop!_'

"Who are you, exactly?" my mother asked, hand on her hip as she gained a disapproving look.

"He's leaving," I turned to Katsuki. He furrowed his eyebrows as I pushed him towards the door. I saw him look at my wrist, or rather the mark my mother had left on me. He put his hands out, grabbing the door frame and keeping me from pushing him out. I frowned, hands lingering on his chest.

"I want to know what kind of mother thinks they can talk to their child as if they're fucking garbage," Katsuki spat through grit teeth. I looked at my mother's shocked face. It took her a moment to process what had happened. Katsuki had only stoked the fire.

"Get out," her tone was cool as she glared at the boy. I widened my eyes a bit. If I didn't get him out, she'd hurt him, too. I sighed.

"Just go, Katsuki," my eyes begged him to leave as my tears overflowed and began to run down my cheek. The look he gave my mother made a chill run down my spine.

"Go," I said with a more demanding tone as I narrowed my eyes. Katsuki's scarlet iris' looked down at mine. We locked eyes once again. His eyebrows creased as he backed up. I shut the door slowly, mouthing an apology. I turned back to my fuming mother, not daring to speak.

"I let you stay here and this is how I'm treated? With this disrespect?" my mother clenched her jaw. I knew what was coming.

"This is the work of that evil..." she mumbled. I winced as she grabbed a fist full of my hair and began dragging me towards the kitchen. Bracing myself, I shut my eyes...

"I know that little devil inside of you wants to protect it's host because it's got nowhere else to go. Maybe I'll just draw it out," my mother hissed. I instantly panicked when I watched her turn the stove on. I tried to run but she yanked me back. She rolled up my sleeve and inched my hand towards the hot stove.

"Mama! Mama, please don't hurt me!" I screamed. My tears fell hard as I shut my eyes tight, waiting for the burning to happen. My mother stopped for a moment. She looked to me with wide, blood-shot, eyes. She almost stood down...

That was until she slammed my hand onto the stove.

The pain from the seal in my eye distracted me from my hand. I screamed a blood-curdling scream with a few sobs mixed in. Before long, I was sitting on the floor, crying. My mother grabbed a wine bottle then retreated to the living room. I sniffled as I held myself in my own arms.

'_Let me take over...'_

I took a shaky breath before gently resting my eyes. It was Kyo's turn to deal with her.

"P-Please don't hurt her..." I mumbled before slipping out of consciousness.

'_I cannot promise that...but I'll try my best...'_

**-.-**

**Hey guys! Sorry, this chapter took me so long to post. I went to Comic-Con over the weekend and got to meet Caitlin Glass (Ashido Mina's English voice actor), Elizabeth Maxwell (Midnight's English voice actor), as well as many others. I even got some stuff signed! Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter. Also, the next couple of chapters might be shorter than normal.**

_**Special Thanks To...**_

**shika93**

**Dark flame mana**

**Reviews...**

**Dark flame mana**: I'm so glad you like it! Thanks for taking the time to review~.


	8. Start the UA Sports Festival

**Chapter 8**

**Third P.o.V**

It was time for the UA Sports Festival. Hotaru had been training for weeks and managed to strengthen her relationship with Kiyo while doing so. After her mom's last freak out, she was focused on her training more than healing her burn. It still hurt from time to time but she wasn't going to let it stop her, now. All the anticipation had her nervous, yet excited.

She had participated in the Obstacle Course and the Cavalry Battle, giving her a decent ranking. She was having a nice lunch when she was dragged away and put into a cheer uniform.

'_This is so demeaning..._' Kiyo said with a disgusted tone.

"Um...Why are we doing this again?" Hotaru hid behind Uraraka as she cheered. The brunette simply gave her a nervous laugh before pointing to Yaoyorozu. Hotaru raised an eyebrow.

"You tricked us!" the raven-haired girl shouted at Mineta and Kaminari. Hotaru wasn't mad at the fact she and the others had been lied to, but the fact that the outfit was so revealing.

It had an orange, skirt, pom-pom's, and a shirt that showed her midriff. She attempted to use her pom-poms as a sort of cover. She hoped to just sit on the sidelines while going unnoticed.

"Lizard Girl?"

"Shit..." Hotaru mumbled as she realized a pair of eyes had been watching her. _Many_ eyes, actually, as the boys took notice of the girls' change in wardrobe.

'_This was a poorly thought out plan,_' Kiyo sighed as Hotaru's sweat fell.

"What the fuck are you wearing?" Bakugou asked, looking the female up and down. He was followed by Kirishima, who said nothing. His pink cheeks and eyes that were glued to the ground spoke for themselves. Hotaru forced an awkward smile.

"I got roped into this because the other girls were tricked by Mineta and Kaminari," she explained nervously. Bakugou furrowed his eyebrows.

"Those fucking idiots..." he growled, attempting to approach to Kaminari. He was stopped by Hotaru grabbing his wrist. She gave him a nervous look.

"I-It's fine," she muttered just loud enough for him to hear. Bakugou glared at her with a look of confusion and anger.

"It's not," he spat. The purple-haired girl sighed, letting go of his wrist.

"I mean...It's not that bad? I need a little more confidence and this...this might help," she sheepishly looked down and motioned at her outfit. Bakugou tsked.

"At least put a jacket on or something," he said before walking away. Hotaru's eyes watched him until he disappeared. A light blush made its way onto her face.

'You heard him. Go put something decent on,' Kiyo spat, snapping Hotaru out of her trance. The plum-haired girl nodded.

"I'll be right back," she told Uraraka, who nodded, then made her way to where she had changed. She grabbed the jacket belonging to her UA tracksuit and slipped it on over the cheer outfit. She couldn't help but smile at the thought of having friends that worry about her.

Once she got back outside, she sat on a bench behind the others, who apparently had embraced the chance to be cheerleaders.

"Aren't you gonna join in, Anzai?" Asui asked. Hotaru shook her head.

"It took everything in me to just put this on," she forced out a laugh. Asui nodded understandingly before turning around. Soon, the recreational games began. Hotaru found herself silently rooting for her classmates.

**Later...**

After the recreational games, the students gathered before Midnight. They were told the next part of the Sports Festival would be one-on-one battles determined by a bracket system. When a screen came up, showing the first set of battles, Hotaru didn't expect to find her name among one of the first few fights.

'_Way to go,_' Kiyo's smug voice said. Hotaru looked to who she would be fighting and instantly felt her throat dry up.

"T-Todoroki...?" her eyes went wide. She paled as she looked at the boy with two-toned hair. He narrowed his eyes and returned the stare. Hotaru snapped her head forward. He was out of her league! She swallowed the lump in her throat.

_'Let's do this,_' Kiyo sounded way too excited. Her host felt her sweat fall.

"I'm going to die..."

**Hotaru's P.O.V**

Great.

Just great.

The best thing to happen to me all day and it's fight Todoroki?! Lady Luck is screwing with me, big time. I watched the first one-on-one fight begin. It was between Midoriya and a boy named Shinso. I hoped it would last for a long while because I definitely needed time to prepare myself mentally and physically.

"Are you nervous? You have to go up against Todoroki..." Uraraka asked after getting my attention by tapping my shoulder.

"Terrified," I deadpanned, unaware of the heterochromatic eyes staring at me. I managed to push the battle with Todoroki to the back of my mind as I watched Midoriya's fight. That kid had spunk. Even Kiyo agreed he was determined. I thought back to the USJ attack and remembered how much he wanted to help All Might. He risked his life for someone else.

I sighed as the fight came to a conclusion. I felt my throat constrict when I snuck a glance in Todoroki's direction, only to find that he was already gone. It was time...

**Later...**

I stood in the entrance to the fighting arena. After taking a few deep breaths and listening to Kiyo's encouraging words, I was ready. When my name was called, I sighed and let whipped the brow of sweat off my eyebrow.

"Here we go..." I mumbled under my breath as I walked out. Todoroki met me on the cement slab we would be fighting on. Present Mic explained that one of us could win by knocking out our opponent, making them go out of bounds, or by the surrender method. After the explanation of the rules, Mic fired up the crowd with a loud shout, signalling that the fight had begun.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. The only thing I knew about Todoroki was his name and he had some sort of half and half quirk involving ice. However, looking at him now, I could tell he was holding something in that he wanted out. I had seen it in Katsuki many times before. It was anger.

'_Power up_,' Kiyo said in a smug tone. The light tingling that came from the seal on my eye told me that she was passionate about this fight...I sighed, digging my fangs into my hand and drawing out blood. As usual, my tail and horns lit on fire.

"Let's get this over with..." I grumbled. Within seconds, the ground beneath me began to freeze over. I used my tail to propel myself upwards before the ice could reach me. While in the air, I shot blue flames from my hands. I came down fast, fist reared and ready to hit the dual-haired boy. Of course, he defended himself. A wall of ice went up and I barely had enough time to adjust myself so that my feet would hit the wall and I could bounce off. I flipped once, landing on the ground and slipping a bit on the ice.

"This dude seriously has some pent up aggression," I huffed.

'_Back at square one..._' Kiyo sighed. She was right. I was back in my original spot and Todoroki had yet to move. After a few seconds, I made another plan.

"Okay...Let's try something else," I mumbled. Puffing up my chest, I shot a blue-flamed breath attack towards my opponent. The fire hit the ice wall he had just made, causing a cloud of steam to form. I narrowed my eyes, waiting for the steam to clear when suddenly...

"Ack!" I yelped as something came in contact with my back. I flew forwards, rolling across the floor of ice.

_'Pay attention!'_ Kiyo shouted. I winced as I stood up. Why was everything _still_ spinning...?

**Third P.o.V**

Bakugou clenched his jaw as he watched Todoroki kick Hotaru in the back. For reasons unknown to him, he wanted to kick the boy back.

"Damn it..." he spat through his grit teeth. He felt himself calm down a bit as Hotaru stood up. He was perfectly fine with putting himself through pain to gain experience from a fight, but not his friends.

"I know it's a fight and we're being scouted...But he should have given her some slack. It's not manly to hit a girl," Kirishima said from next to Bakugou, a concerned look on his face.

"I should have expected that..." Hotaru coughed before shooting out of the smoke. She lunged towards Todoroki, busting down the many ice walls he would put in her path. Bakugou grinned as he witnessed Hotaru's determination in action. She managed to get behind the half-n-half boy. She swept his feet out from under him but used his ice to shoot himself into the air so he could dodge. Hotaru followed, once again trying-and failing-to hit her opponent with a blue-flamed attack. They both landed back on the ground, but only Hotaru was breathing heavily. Todoroki furrowed his eyebrows.

"Come on, Lizard Girl..." Bakugou said under his breath. Hotaru smirked as Todoroki got ready to charge at her.

"I know I'm not on your level..." Todoroki hesitated, narrowing his eyes. Bakugou raised an eyebrow as the purple-haired girl spoke.

'_What are you doing?!'_ Kyo spat.

"And I may not be as strong as you...but I have ambitions like every other person here," Hotaru took a few deep breaths.

_'Quit talking and start fighting!'_ Kyo shouted, causing the seal to react. Hotaru sharply inhaled through her clenched teeth as she put her hand up to her eye. She briefly moved her bangs, unconsciously revealing her triquetra pupil to those who paid close enough attention. Todoroki must have caught it because he raised an eyebrow in interest.

"I won't go down easily. I have people to prove wrong," there was a moment of silence. For once, everyone wanted to hear what Hotaru wanted to say. She bit into her arm this time, drawing out a lot more blood.

"If I get knocked out, an even stronger force will take over my body. I can't control her since I'll be unconscious...but like hell is she going simply walk away from a fight," she hissed, eyes practically glowing from the burning passion inside of them. Bakugou, having been the only one she told about her quirk, grinned. He finally got to see it in action.

"I can practically smell the hatred that you're radiating. I know it's none of my business, so I won't ask, but I just want to say that a fight fueled by rage isn't a fight at all," Hotaru's words seemed to strike Todoroki harder than any punch she had thrown.

"So I ask that when you meet Kiyo, you do not fight her with that same anger you're fighting me with. She has the right to hold a grudge against humanity and has been doing so for over six hundred years," she cracked her knuckles.

'_You know, this might be really confusing to most people,_' Kiyo deadpanned. Hotaru narrowed her eyes as a breeze picked up, causing her hair to blow around her face. Her tail patiently swished behind her.

"I'm not gonna let your terrifyingly strong power change anything," she said, now free of all fear. Bakugou wore a look of pride on his face. One wouldn't go as far as to say her words touched him, but they sure as hell made him think she's one badass chick.

"Kick his ass, Lizard Girl."


	9. Spirit

****Chapter 9****

****Kiyo's P.o.V****

Hotaru was breathing heavily as she attempted another direct attack on Todoroki. She had let me know that I had her permission to take over once she passed out, but I knew I would have to be fast. If I took too long to get up, we would lose. As I silently watched from her shadow, I waited for her energy to deplete and got ready to take over.

The boy named Todoroki glared at her with hatred in his eyes as he encased her body in ice. I knew the anger wasn't aimed at her, for she had done nothing wrong. Luckily, she had enough power stored up to where she was able to break out with a blue-flamed breath attack. She had become such a quick thinker, thanks to me. I just hope I don't let her down...

"You said you wouldn't give up because you have people to prove wrong," Todoroki suddenly said. Hotaru stopped and narrowed her eyes.

"I don't see the importance of that, anymore," she huffed.

"Who is it?" Todoroki asked, holding off on his attack. Hotaru clenched her jaw.

"None of your business," she attempted to punch the boy, but he dodged.

"Everyone has their reasons for becoming a hero," he narrowed his eyes. My host scoffed at his ignorance. I think he was just trying to get on her nerves until she was no longer thinking straight.

"It's everyone," she spat before jumping into the air.

"Everyone's gonna see that I'm not the helpless little girl they thought would become a villain," I felt something stir in Hotaru. Determination, I believe. She dug her fangs into her hand and drew out a decent amount of blood.

'__Be mindful of how much blood you're using. Based on the size of his attacks, this boy is fueled by rage and I'm already limited. If you use too much, even I won't stand a chance,__' I reminded her. She nodded before shooting a large fire blast in Todoroki's direction. He used his ice to block the attack.

__'I don't know how much longer I can last...Get ready Kiyo__,' she warned as she pivoted and whipped the dried blood from her mouth. I prepared myself. Sure enough, after dodging more of Todoroki's ice attacks, her energy had drained and she fell to her knees. She grinned as she took deep, heavy, breaths.

"I guess it's time to switch..." she sighed, dropping to her knees. Todoroki raised his eyebrow but seemed to brace himself. It was good that he took her warnings seriously.

"See you later, I guess," she muttered just loud enough for him to hear before slipping out of consciousness.

It was my time, now.

Everything in the stadium was silent as I took control and rose to my feet. I let out a short, breathy, chuckle and cracked my neck.

"Hello, there," I grinned maliciously. Todoroki narrowed his eyes.

"I know that told you I would be here. I'm Kiyo," I explained. Within a fraction of a second, I was in front of him and brought down his stomach onto my knee by grabbing his shoulders. It was a little difficult because he was taller than the body I was using, but I managed to disarm him for the time being.

"Nice to meet you," I whispered into Todoroki's ear before grabbing his tracksuit and flipping him over onto his back. I then jumped back so there was some distance between us.

After a moment of regaining his breath, the boy got back up. He managed to put his hand on the ground without me noticing and froze my feet to the ground. The ice kept me from moving as the boy with dual-coloured hair lunged towards me. His fist made contact with my face and I couldn't stop smiling. I hadn't had physical contact like that in some time. The force knocked me back and into one of the previously placed walls of ice. I paused so I could taste blood in my mouth.

"Thank you for that," I licked the blood from my lips and slowly got up. With my newfound strength, I ran towards Todoroki. Once I was a few feet in front of him, I used my blue flames to project myself up and gracefully flip over the boy. Landing right behind him, I used my tail to push Todoroki forward a bit and made him lose his footing. After a quick spin, I latched myself onto his back, wrapping my legs around his waist and holding his arms down with mine.

"Haven't done this is a long time," I smirked sadistically as I sank my fangs into his neck. I got out about half an ounce of blood out. As soon as I began lapping it up with my tongue, the boy threw me off. I chuckled as I stood there, taking the blood off my lips with my finger then popping it into my mouth.

With my enhanced hearing, I could hear the loud blonde's shouts, "What the fuck, Lizard Girl?!" I laughed.

"Blood sacrifice is how I access my powers. This seal on Hotaru's eye keeps me in check, though," I explained. Todoroki had his hand over where I had bitten. There was still a little blood seeping out. I understood that it was weird, considering I was still in Hotaru's body, but she would have to worry about that later.

I felt a sudden burst of euphoria as a chill ran down my spine. It had been a long time since I had blood from a male. In fact, I had not had blood from anyone _not_ in Hotaru's family in hundreds of years. Every host I get attached to is female, as the Hostess quirk seems to get passed down only to them.

I ran towards Todoroki, shooting a large burst of fire at him. He barely dodged as I was starting to get more diligent with my attacks. I skidded past him then swiftly pivoted on my foot as he turned around. My elbow made contact with him, but he managed to block with his arms. I only pushed him back a couple of feet.

"Sorry, but you can't block me that easily," I sank my sharp fangs into my hand, drawing out as much blood as I could in a short period of time. As I ran towards the boy once again, I used a large blast to shoot me forward. I saw him look up at me with an angry glint in his eyes. I tried to stop running but it was too late.

"Damn it..." I narrowed my eyes as a large spike of ice came up from the ground. I was thrown into the air as Todoroki created an incredibly large wave of frozen water that came down and smashed me into the ground with more force than necessary. As I yelped, I felt my body connect with the concrete, which I put a crater in. Something cracked and then I lost consciousness.

****Later...****

I slowly opened my eyes. After focusing on the white ceiling, I began to panic. I sat up quickly, only have an extreme pain shoot through my body and yelp.

"Oh, good. You're awake," the pro hero that I heard Hotaru once call Recovery Girl walked over to the side of my bed. I sighed.

"You really should be resting. You hit the ground pretty hard," the older woman said. I slowly and reluctantly laid back. I looked down to inspect the bandages wrapped around my borrowed body. I had Hotaru's abdomen, left arm, and part of her right leg wrapped up.

"I'm sorry I caused trouble for you," I apologized. Hotaru had yet to wake, so I was forced to take over, but I was still tired. Recovery Girl shook her head.

"It's my job," she shrugged. I was actually apologizing to Hotaru, but I let it go. A knock from the door piqued my interest. Recovery Girl went over and opened it slightly, so I was unable to see outside.

"She's awake. Yes, come in," she finally opened the door all the way. In walked that redheaded friend of Hotaru's.

"Oh," I blankly stared at him as he walked in. He gave me a worried look.

"Hey, Hotaru. How are you doing?" he asked. I continued to stare for a moment before realizing I failed to clarify the situation.

"I'm not Hotaru," I finally shook my head. The redhead raised an eyebrow.

"Are you the...the another one?" he asked, a bead of sweat rolling off his brow. I almost laughed at the fact I was now considered 'the other one'.

"Yes, if that's what you want to call me," I said with a small smile.

"My name is Kiyo," I explained.

The redhead grinned, "I'm Kirishima Eijirou." I thought I had run out of things to talk about, but I soon found something to say when I noticed the boy's look of concern. He wanted to ask me something and I knew exactly what.

"It's just a little pain. It's nothing her body or my mind can't handle," I assured him. Kirishima nodded and seemed to calm down.

"Todoroki admitted that the last attack he used was a bit much. I guess you were right when you said that he was angry," he put a hand behind his head awkwardly.

"Well...I don't really remember that and she definitely won't, so it's fine..." my voice trailed off. Hotaru's friend stared at me with an expression that told me he was confused.

"That still doesn't make it okay," he muttered. I sighed.

"How long was I out, Red?" I raised an eyebrow. Kirishima paused for a second.

"You've missed all of the fights," he informed me as his sweat fell. I closed my eyes and exhaled.

"Forgive me," I bowed my head. Kirishima shrugged it off.

"I'm pretty sure the only one who will make a big deal out of it is Bakugou, but he's kind of...chained up...right now," he explained sheepishly. I quirked an eyebrow before an unstoppable smirk took over my face.

"Why am I not surprised..." I shook my head and let out a single chuckle.

"I don't know why she admires that hot-head so much," I thought out loud.

"Wait...You know what she thinks about?" Kirishima raised an eyebrow. I nodded.

"I can hear her thoughts but it takes a bit of energy," I explained. The puzzled look on Kirishima's face stayed there for a bit. A smug smile spread across my face when I saw the interest in his eyes.

"Let me guess...You want to know what she thinks of you?" I asked. Kirishima shook his head.

"That wouldn't be very manly if I went behind her back like that," he said. I knew he was lying, but shrugged it off.

"But when you said she admires Bakugou...What did you mean?" he asked, causing my eyes narrowed. What part of that did he not get?

"She thinks highly of him. She wants to have as much courage as him. To be honest, Hotaru's always been a little too quiet. I believe that he could change that," I admitted more than I wanted to but knew that this boy wouldn't use this information against Hotaru. Kirishima nodded slowly. After a moment of silence, I threw the covers off me.

"Well...No use sticking around here," I attempted to stand.

"I wouldn't-" Recovery Girl tried to warn me but was ignored. As soon as I was no longer supported by the bed, my legs gave in and I fell to the ground.

"Woah!" the redhead managed to catch me. He lifted me up and put me back into the bed as I frowned.

"I'm sure your parents are recording the whole thing, so you can watch the fights when you get home," Recovery Girl said. The witch __willingly__ watching something involving Hotaru? __Ha__.

Rolling my eyes, I responded, "The last thing Satomi would want to do is watch her daughter on her television." Kirishima gave me a puzzled look.

"Who wouldn't? That whole switching thing you did was awesome!" he said with a goofy grin.

"Letting me continue the fight for her was all Hotaru's idea. I was just the one to act it out. Besides, that witch wouldn't watch anything if it even reminded her of her daughter," I looked at my tail and made sure it was unharmed. I put my hands up to feel my horns to make sure all three-inches of them were there.

"Great..." I grumbled. My right horn was broken. A whole chunk of it was missing from the top. That's going to be a pain to try and light...

After Kirishima left, I sat back in the bed and sighed. Recovery Girl left the room for a little bit, abandoning me in a room that was agonizingly silent. I wondered if Hotaru would be discouraged when she learned she lost and didn't get to see anyone else fight. I looked down at my bandaged right hand then put it up to the seal on Hotaru's eyes. The searing pain I felt caused me to flinch and drop my hand back down.

I flopped back onto the pillows, "Damn...This isn't going to get any easier..."


	10. Hero Names and Internships

****Chapter 10****

****Hotaru's P.o.V****

I was fully healed and back at UA. Kiyo had told me Eijirou had come to check up on me and that I missed basically _everything_ from the Sports Festival. That and the fact that one of my horns broke had me in a depressed mood. What made me feel worse was that I currently couldn't get any ideas for my hero name. I put my board down on my desk and ruffled up my hair.

"I'm getting a headache," I sat my head down against the tabletop.

"Don't beat yourself up about it. I'm sure you'll come up with a name soon," Eijirou encouraged from next to me. I sighed.

"I hope so," I grumbled. I rested my chin in my hand and glanced over at Katsuki, who had already presented his new hero name. There were two people who had to go before I could present my idea. I haven't thought this hard all school year.

'__How about Hellflame?__' Kiyo suggested.

"Too aggressive," I muttered.

'__Blue?__'

"No," I exhaled disappointedly.

'__You have got to give me some sort of leverage here...__'

"Oi, Lizard Girl, you got a problem?" I had been staring at Katsuki this whole time and now the loud blonde was taking notice.

"Wait..." I mumbled, a lightbulb flickering in my head. I quickly began writing on my board. Luckily, Eijirou had just finished presenting and now it was my turn. I walked up to the front of the room and covered my board for a second while Midnight got the class' attention.

"Go ahead," the pro gave me a warm smile. I nodded then proceeded to flip over my board. Eijirou stared at me with a questioning look. Katsuki, who looked confused at first, grinned proudly.

"Hell yeah!" he put his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair. I smirked, hiding behind my hair a bit.

"Are you sure about this?" Ochaco asked.

"It's the only thing I've got that doesn't sound like I'm about to burn you to a crisp," I shrugged.

"But that's exactly what you do..." a bead of sweat formed on Eijirou's forehead. I laughed sheepishly.

"It's a little on the nose, but...Lizard Girl it is," Midnight nodded. I thanked her before returning to my desk.

"Bakugou's rubbing off on you way too much," Eijirou pointed out with a slightly concerned smile.

"It's not that bad," I shrugged. Kaminari, who sat in front of me, turned around in his seat.

"Are you kidding? If you become like Bakugou, this class will never get quiet! Plus, I'm not sure he needs an ego boost," he said. I looked past him and towards the blonde who was glaring at Kaminari.

"I'm pretty sure his ego is about to come over here and kick your ass," I giggled. Kaminari paled as he realized Katsuki had heard him. He turned back around as we went back to watching the rest of the class present their hero names.

Afterwards, Aizawa explained that some of us had been chosen by pro heroes for internships. When I found out I was one of them, I nearly had a heart attack. My classmates and I were given two weeks to pick an agency for our internships. The pro's who watched the sports festival scouted all the students that participated. I didn't have as many drafts as the others, but I still had a few and it was super cool.

Once our class was dismissed and we were allowed to go home, I thought over the heroes who had drafted me. As I looked through the offers, one, in particular, stood out. The hero named Edgeshot. From what I had seen and heard, he was a calm and collected hero. That's exactly what I need.

****A Couple of Weeks Later...****

I had accepted the draft I got from Edgeshot's agency. I went to the location I was given and was greeted by the number five hero himself. I was so nervous that I was starting to shake.

"U-Um...Hi," I stuttered, mentally scolded myself for being so awkward. Thanks to being around Katsuki, I was just starting to break out of that habit.

'__If only he were here...__' I thought with an internal sigh.

"Don't be so nervous. I've seen what you can do from your fight at the Sports Festival and there is no way you can let me down," Edgeshot said with a surprisingly kind tone. I widened my eyes at the fact that he knew exactly what I was thinking. I was told Edgeshot's intelligence is nothing to poke fun of but at that moment, I was stunned into silence.

"R-Right," I nodded, remembering where I was.

"Thank you for choosing me, Mister Edgeshot," I bent at the waist.

'_Lord, Hotaru, why don't you offer to shine his shoes?_' Kiyo scoffed. I intentionally ignored her.

"I'm Kamihara Shinya but you can call me whatever you would like. Don't worry about being so formal," Edgeshot's eyes narrowed in a way that told me he was smiling. I thought for a moment before settling on Mister Kamihara. I sighed, relaxing a bit.

"Anzai Hotaru. As you can probably tell, I'm not good at social cues," I laughed nervously.

"I see that," Mister Kamihara chuckled. "Now, right to business."

I narrowed my eyes, "Yes, Sir." We moved to a different room where I sat on a couch across from the hero's chair. I enjoyed the tea that he had apparently prepared beforehand. When Mister Kamihara began to speak, I sat down the cup and listened very closely.

"Now, I want you to tell me how you learned about your quirk. When did it first appear and how did you deal with it?" he asked seriously. I nodded before thinking back. He was the first to hear this story...No one outside my family knows it...

I took a deep breath, "I was four at the time..."

****Eleven Years Ago...****

****Third P.o.V****

**(**Warning: It is a bit graphic.)****

_"Miss Anzai? Where is the father?" a man in a golden cloak asked._

_"He will take no further action in the binding of the spirit," a lady with brown hair and blue eyes asked. She was, in fact, a younger Anzai Satomi. She held her rosary tightly in one hand and a vile of blood in the other. Her expression was stoic and terrified at the same time._

_"As long as we have the blood, he is no longer needed," the monk turned around and began walking. The lady nodded as she was led to a large room. Inside was a cross pinned to a wall, a priest, and a child lying on a table. She simply stared at the toddler with a blank, yet sombre, expression._

_"Are you sure you want to go through with this, Satomi? There's no determined answer on if she'll survive. Even if she does, she might not live long. She will be denied access into the Holy Land and that is no fate for any child to bear," the Priest's worried eyes scanned the woman's face. Satomi was the priest's daughter and mother of the young child which was named Hotaru._

_"If not her then it would be you...I can't take that heartbreak. Not after just losing mom to this beast," Satomi said with a spiteful tone._

_"So you'd rather use your four-year-old? I can't encourage this when I've been trained for this my whole life," the Priest said._

_"I'm not asking you to...This is my first child and I am still young. I can have others. Besides, you've never tried to seal the spirit in a child this young. She is new and knows no fear, which I believe is why the past sealings haven't worked. She might hold on longer than any other participants of the sealing," Satomi said. She looked to her child, who simply looked around the room. The Priest took a deep breath._

_"Very well...Hand over the father's blood," he said. Satomi gave her father the blood of the child's father. She then used a knife brought over by another monk and drew her own blood. The Priest mixed the blood of both parents while chanting some words in an ancient language and drawing a mark on the baby's stomach. A triquetra, or Celtic knot, was made._

_The toddler was calm and silent as the seal's effects began to take hold. It suddenly burned its way into the child's flesh and she began to cry. The seal inched its way up to the baby's face, burn marks trailing behind it. It stopped right beneath her eye where it seemed to stop burning. The cries of the babe died down._

_"What is it doing?" Satomi asked as her daughter's eye turned dark. The Priest was silent._

_"It's moved...It's only done that once before. Back when my grandmother had the Hostess quirk," he said. The seal was now on Hotaru's eye. _The iris seemed to burst before reforming as the same symbol that was drawn on the babe's abdomen._ Her eyes turned scarlet and her left pupil was now a slit. She had also sprouted small lavender-coloured horns and a tail. _

_Suddenly, the shadow of the baby made by the candles in the room grew until it formed a large snake-like silhouette that stood out against the temple's walls. Its glowing, red, eyes burned into the souls of Satomi and the Priest when they looked at it._

_**"Trying to lock me up again, Old Man?"** a beautifully feminine voice asked._

_"Lady Kiyo, you have caused nothing but trouble and death for this family...I will not tolerate it," the Priest's voice cracked a little._

_**"SO YOU TRAP ME INSIDE AN INFANT?!"** the shadow roared. The flames of the candles in the room burst to life then died down._

_**"Men,"** the spirit spat before sighing and closing her eyes._

_**"Let's see how long this one lasts. Just because you give me a child to deal with does not mean I will be merciful,"** Kiyo hissed before returning to the toddler who began to stir in her sleep._

_"Is it done?" Satomi asked, taking deep, shaky, breaths. Her father hesitantly nodded._

_"Yes...Lady Kiyo is now permanently sealed inside your child."_

****...****

Kamihara gave Hotaru a sympathetic look., "It sounds like your quirk was more forced than discovered." Hotaru shrugged.

"I guess so," she mumbled, having never really thought about it that way. Kamihara seemed to study her facial expression a little more before standing up and giving her his evaluation.

"From what I've seen, I can say that you should focus more on your mental state while using your quirk," he informed her. Hotaru raised an eyebrow.

"You have to sacrifice blood in order to use the spirit's power, am I correct?" Kamihara asked.

"Yeah...I-I mean yes!" Hotaru nodded nervously, "The more blood I use, the more fire I can use." Kamihara shook his head.

"Most of the time, it's a matter of where your head is at. Let's try something," he left the room for a bit. When he came back, he held two candles in his hands. As he sat down, he placed the candles in front of Hotaru.

"Here. Try to light one candle at a time with a smaller, more focused, stream of fire," he instructed. Hotaru narrowed her eyes before drawing blood from her hand and attempting to light one candle at a time.

She ended up destroying the whole table...

Kamihara sighed, causing Hotaru's nerves to grow. She felt her sweat roll off her brow as she clapped her hands together and bowed profusely.

"S-Sorry!" she panicked. Kamihara shook his head and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Concentrate on the task you are trying to master. Start small then we'll work our way up. I'll be back to check on you in an hour," he said with a warm tone. Hotaru stared at him as he left. The thought of letting him down scared the crap out of her, so she glared at the candles with a newfound determination.

"You won't get the best of me," she hissed before attempting to light the candles. It would be a long day...

****-.-****

****Hey, you guys! If you noticed, I wrote in a burn mark on Hotaru's body in the eighth chapter, I think. No, it was not from Satomi, but from Hotaru's quirk reacting to the seal. Just wanted to clear that up.****

****Special Thanks To...****

****Uzumaki of authority****


	11. Run-in

**Chapter 11**

**Third P.o.V**

Hotaru had gone home at three in the morning. She could no longer train, as she had run out of energy and Kamihara was worried about how much blood she was sacrificing. Once the seal on her eye began to sting, she snuck into her own home and fell asleep on the couch. When she woke up and returned to her internship, she repeated the process of trying to light one candle at a time. This was what she two days. On the third day, Kamihara gave her a break and, instead, took her out patrolling with him.

"You've done well with the candle training. I now need you to get a sense of what it is like to be out on the field," he lied. His real reason was that he wanted her to get outside. She was starting to get pale and he didn't want her to take away only one lesson from her visit. The purple-haired girl nodded. As soon as she was equipped with her hero costume, she and Kamihara headed to the city to keep watch over the streets.

"Do you know why we heroes are sent out on patrol?" the pro asked once they made it into the city.

"So that the citizens know they have people to protect them," Hotaru muttered after pausing to think. Kamihara nodded.

"Precisely. Being a hero is also about being a figure ordinary citizens can look up to," he clarified. Hotaru followed behind him as they walked along a sidewalk. She noticed a few people staring and even smiling at them. Fame was definitely _not_ why she wanted to become a hero.

"Of course, some take the attention better than others," Kamihara noticed her nervousness. She looked up to him with an unsure look.

"You also have to be able to work well with others," he pointed out another hero who was passing by.

"Edgeshot. Didn't know you were patrolling this area today," the hero called Best Jeanist approached them. He looked down at Hotaru.

"And who is this young lady?" he asked as he raised an eyebrow. Hotaru bent at the waist.

"Anzai Hotaru. I'm working under Edgeshot as an intern from UA," she explained politely. Best Jeanist seemed to find something she had said funny.

"Well, at least yours has manners," he looked back towards Kamihara. Hotaru raised an eyebrow. She understood what he meant when a familiar boy charged towards the man.

"You damn jerk! You left me on purpose!"

"Oops, my mistake. Don't know how I could misplace someone as loud as you," Best Jeanist mocked a certain blonde who rolled his eyes at the comment.

"You should really take lessons from this little lady. Honestly, Edgeshot, if I could switch with you, I could," the pro hero sighed. Hotaru didn't know how to react, so she simply gave him a sheepish smile. When the boy on the other side of Best Jeanist looked past the hero, his eyes widened.

"Lizard Girl?"

"Katsuki," she nodded, face lighting up with an ear-to-ear smile. Bakugou blushed at the fact that he had been called by his first name.

'_Out of all those stupid kids in that class, why her?_' he thought.

"Who said you could call me that?!" he shouted. Hotaru tilted her head slightly.

"If I remember correctly, you never said you were against it," she hid her deviousness behind a smile. Bakugou frowned and clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

"Cause I didn't think I had to say it, dumbass," he grumbled. The purple-haired girl's giggle had filled his ears.

"This is the first time I've seen her smile or laugh since she started her internship," Kamihara leaned over and muttered to Best Jeanist as the two kids continued to talk.

"And he seems...less mad," the blonde hero had also noticed their change in behaviour.

**Hotaru's P.o.V**

"So you chose Edgeshot?" Katsuki asked me. I nodded with a big, prideful, grin.

"And you got...him?" I raised an eyebrow as I glanced over his mentor's appearance.

"I messed up," Katsuki grumbled. I smirked.

"It's only a few more days. I'm not doing well with my training, but when I think about what you and the others are doing, it makes me want to work even harder," I said without thinking. Katsuki stared at me for a bit.

"Do you have any idea how fucking stupid that sounds?" he furrowed his eyebrows. I swear I saw him blush. I pouted as I crossed my arms.

"Well, fine then, jerk," I hissed. Katsuki's eyes narrowed and he averted his gaze.

"Whatever," he mumbled. I sighed as a bead of sweat fell down my forehead.

'_He's hopeless..._' Kiyo spat.

"Let's get going," Kamihara called. I nodded before looking back to Katsuki.

"I guess I'll see you when we go back to UA," I smiled. Katsuki grinned and held a fist up.

"You better get stronger, Lizard Girl," he ordered. I giggled as I held my fist up and connected it with his.

"You don't slack off either," I said with a sly tone. After noticing that Kamihara was already a few feet away, I picked up my pace.

"Bye, Katsuki!" I waved before running off to join my mentor.

**Later...**

The patrol was starting to get boring. I was glad Kamihara let me come with him, but I'd much rather do more hands-on stuff. Currently, we were just standing and waiting for something to happen.

"Sir, can I fight if we come upon a villain?" I asked as I looked up to Kamihara. We had yet to do anything but stand and watch.

"No. You're not ready for that, yet," he said. I frowned.

"You seem to forget that our whole class fought real villains during the USJ incident," I muttered with a slightly ticked off tone.

Kamihara looked to me from the corner of his eyes, "And you seem to forget that you're still just a child. No child put under my care will put themselves in danger." I sighed.

"Can I at least follow you?" I asked, hopeful. There was a long moment of silence between me and Kamihara.

"Just make sure to stay back," he finally caved in. I smirked with satisfaction.

"Will do."

About thirty more minutes ticked by and I heard a scream. Apparently, Kamihara heard it too. As he jumped into action, I grinned and ran after him. When I caught up, the pro hero was glaring at three men with guns pointed at a little boy who held a bag.

"G-Go away! I worked hard for this!" the boy shouted, body trembling.

"Cmon, kid. We need that as much as you," one of the men began closing in on him. I sat on top of a building, biting my lip in anticipation as Kamihara approached them. I felt Kiyo's anticipation to fight when the seal began to tingle.

"I doubt that," the men jumped. They quickly spun around. With his quirk, Kamihara pinned the men to the corner of the alleyway. As the men groaned from the force of being pushed against a building, another one ran around the corner.

"Guys, we gotta go there's-" he froze when he saw the pro hero capturing his companions.

"Now?"

'_Now.'_

I grinned as I jumped down from the top of the building, using my tail to balance myself and land, crouching on a lamp post. Kamihara jerked his head in my direction

"What do you think you're doing?" he hissed. I gave him a fanged grin.

"What does it look like?! I'm going to catch a bad guy!" I called, knowing he was too busy to try and catch me. I darted off in the same direction that the final guy ran in. I saw him turn a corner. However, when I also turned, I couldn't find him.

"Damn it..." I mumbled I stared down the dark alleyway. With barely enough reaction time to register what had happened, I saw a body lung towards me and tackle me to the ground. I winced as I fell over. When I got back up, the thug was running down the street.

'_Go after him!'_ Kiyo shouted, the seal now burning. I clenched my jaw as I ran after him. Using my tail, I propelled myself into the air and landed right in front of him.

"Hey," I called before grabbing the boy by his shirt. I managed to catch a glimpse of his face. He looked to be a few years older than me...I tugged on him until he fell to the ground then sat on top of him, holding his arms behind his back. I heard sirens and instantly jumped to my feet, pulling the boy up with me. The police had arrived and by the time Kamihara got to me, I could already tell he was already pissed off.

"I told you to just watch," he snapped. I frowned as an officer took the boy from me and put him in a police car.

"He was getting away and I caught him, didn't I?" I raised an eyebrow. Kamihara sighed.

"It's not a matter of if you did, but of if you should have," he explained before walking away to greet the police. I let out a heavy exhale as I rubbed my temples.

'_He has a point. If anything, you should take that information and keep it,'_ Kiyo agreed.

I groaned, "Whatever..." Suddenly, felt something small wrap around me. I flinched as my arms raised themselves in defence and my eyes widened.

"Thank you!"

The little boy from earlier still had his money and his life. Now, he was thanking me...I stared at him for a bit before looking towards Kamihara who sighed.

"There are also people who become heroes for the reward of simply helping others," I couldn't help but smile at his words. I looked back down at the boy and gently placed my hand on top of his head.

"You're welcome."

* * *

**Special Thanks To...**

_**YaoiMonster**_


	12. Reunion

**Chapter 12**

**Hotaru's P.o.V**

"Seriously?! Seriously, Bakugou?!"

Sero and Eijirou's laughter rang through the room. I was one of the first to show up to class as my anticipation to see everyone again had gotten the better of me. Internships were fun but now they were over and Kamihara had told me if I ever needed anything, to give him a call. Now, back in my classroom with my fellow classmates, I turned my head to face the front door and witness something I never thought I would.

"Stop laughing! My hair's gotten used to it, so it won't even go back after I wash it..." Katsuki growled, fist clenched and ready to knock someone out. I walked over. The sight bestowed upon my eyes was truly worth the pain my sensitive ears went through. I couldn't control my laughter as I joined Sero and Eijirou.

'_Oh, this is rich_,' even Kiyo was laughing.

"Shut it, Lizard Girl!" Bakugou shouted. I managed to calm down as I whipped away tears. I was forced back into a laughing fit when Katsuki's hair spiked back up.

"There. Back to normal," I attempted to calm myself down once more. Katsuki clicked his tongue before averting his gaze and making me smile.

"It's good to see you, too, Katsuki," I admitted.

"So, Hotaru, how was your internship? You had Edgeshot, right?" Eijirou asked. I nodded, my smile growing into an even bigger grin.

"I did more mental training than anything; learning to clear my mind so I can use more power," I explained briefly. I saw Sero's eyebrow raise as he joined the conversation and stood next to Eijirou.

"I saw on TV that you saved this little boy from a few robbers," he added. I shrunk a little, my nervousness growing.

"Yeah...Weren't they wanted for some pretty big heists?" Eijirou asked. I put a hand behind my head as I felt my sweat roll off my forehead.

"Eheh...I guess they made the decision to go small for once and it came back to bite them in the ass," I forced a smile that showed my fangs. The redhead in front of me grinned.

"Sounds awesome," he gave me a thumbs up. I glanced over to Bakugou.

"I also saw Bakugou while patrolling. So, overall, it was pretty good," I shrugged. Bakugou crossed his arms and looked away from me.

_'Is he...blushing?'_ Kiyo asked. I shook my head and smirked before listening in on the conversation happening between the rest of the class.

"The ones that changed the most, or went through the most, were you three, right?" Kaminari looked towards Iida, Todoroki, and Midoriya.

"Oh, yeah! The Hero Killer, right?" Sero asked. I raised an eyebrow.

"Hero Killer?" I thought out loud, interest now piqued.

"You seriously don't know?" Kirishima gave me a puzzled look. I shrunk a little out of embarrassment.

"N-No..."

"Stain The Hero Killer has taken out tons of pros. If you think about it, he's kind of cool," Kaminari explained. I tilted my head slightly.

'_That didn't sound right...' _Kiyo deadpanned.

"Cool?" I asked, making sure my confused tone was clearly audible.

"Kaminari!" Midoriya's eye widened. I sighed.

"I'm just glad you guys made it out okay," I faced the trio with a worried look. As the rest of my classmates congregated over by Iida, Midoriya, and Todoroki, I sat back with Katsuki. His hair had flattened out once again.

"So...Did you get stronger?" I asked as I stifled my laughter. Katsuki frowned.

"That bastard did nothing for me," he growled. I knew he was talking about Best Jeanist and I smiled.

"If you want, I can show you what Edgeshot taught me. I think a little headspace might make you less...murderer-like," I gave him a wary look. Katsuki flinched.

'_I have a feeling that's not the problem,'_ Kiyo grumbled.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?! I don't need-What the fuck are you doing?"

I had reached out and touched Katsuki's hair. It was like putting myself in a trance and then I suddenly was free. Kind of calming, too...

"I can't help it! It looked so soft," I pouted. I was right. It was like a kitten's fur. Katsuki's cheeks turned red and he hesitated. I like to think that he actually liked it for a moment. My hopes were dashed when he pulled away.

"Don't touch me," he hissed. I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, chill. I'm just messing with you," I help up my hands defensively as I watched Katsuki's eyes narrow. I walked back to my desk as Iida had begun to tell us all to get into our seats before class began. That was one thing I didn't miss...

**After School...**

"Katsuki, wait up!" I called. Katsuki had left before me and now I was catching up to him.

"What?" he grumbled. I smiled and grabbed his hand.

"Let's walk home together," I suggested. He stared at me for a bit.

"Why?" he asked warily. I pouted.

"Because we live close to each other and no one else does," I let go of his hand and frowned.

I shrugged, "But we don't have to if you don't want to." I began to walk away from the blonde. He sighed.

"Fine," he groaned. I giggled as I walked back to his side. There was a moment of comfortable silence in which I tried not to laugh, but I just couldn't help myself.

"What's so funny?" Katsuki asked.

"You usually would have yelled at me by now," I pointed out. He paused and narrowed his eyes, looking away from me.

**3rd P.o.V**

"Whatever," Bakugou grumbled.

Hotaru had tried so hard to be friends with him, but why? He noticed she had started talking to him more. She tried so hard...Why should he care?

'_She's weak. She couldn't even hold her own against that Hot-N-Cold freak. You're stronger and can do better than her,' _he thought, trying to bring himself back down to Earth.

But she was always with him for some reason. During the USJ attack, she insisted on walking home with Bakugou, and she even let him into her house once. Why the hell would she let someone she didn't even know that well into her house? She talked to him when everyone else was fawning over that useless Deku's fight with the Hero Killer. Hotaru always seemed to make sure he was never alone and he just realized that. Maybe it was being away from everyone for so long that caused him to think of his friend, but he honestly didn't know how to take it.

"Uh...Are you okay?" Bakugou was pulled back from his thoughts as the purple-haired girl spoke up. He furrowed his eyebrows.

"Why wouldn't I be?" he scoffed as they continued walking. Hotaru smirked.

"Come here. I wanna show you something," she grabbed Bakugou's hand and, for some reason, he felt a stinging sensation in his cheeks.

"Where the fuck are we going?" he furrowed his eyebrows as she pulled him away from their path and into the woods. The goddamned woods.

'_Well, at least I can kick her ass if she tries to kill me,' _Bakugou thought as he begrudgingly followed the girl.

"I was late for my internship, one day, so I decided to take a shortcut through the woods. I found this," she smiled as she sped up, now at a full-on sprint. Bakugou had to speed up a little, too.

"Okay...Here!" she grinned as she soon came to a stop and took deep breaths. There was a large wall of moss and vines blocking their path.

"What the-" "Go through it, idiot," Hotaru odered. Bakugou rolled his eyes at the comment but went in anyway. His jaw fell as he looked around.

"Beautiful, right? I didn't even know such an organic place like this would be so close to the city," Hotaru muttered quietly. Right in front of them was a pond surrounded by a few different kinds of flowers, moss, and even a stone bench. Bakugou didn't know what to say. He watched as Hotaru walked over to the bench and sat down.

"Are you just gonna stand there or what?" she asked. Bakugou rolled his eyes, causing her to giggle.

"So, where the hell are we?" he asked as he sat down next to her. She smiled as she looked towards the water.

"I think it used to be owned by a lady named Shimura Nana. I couldn't find anything about it and what little I did find, came from the little old lady who owns the land now," she explained. Bakugou followed the direction of her eyes to the water that was about a foot away from their feet. She sighed, feeling that now was a good time to vent.

"Whatever God is up there is trying to test me, I'm sure of it," Hotaru giggled. Bakugou narrowed his eyes.

"I get born into this world and almost instantly saddled with a power I never asked to have. I go through excruciating pain so that I can what? Shoot blue flames and listen to a voice in my head that clearly only wants to use me to escape from its prison?" her smile faltered a bit.

She sighed, "I managed to get into a good school and have a chance at a fresh start, but I was too scared to try. Then, our class gets attacked by fucking villains!"

"I missed the entirety of the Sports Festival and have to go home to a mother that clearly doesn't want me. My deadbeat dad went a-wall years ago...No one wants to stick around," Hotaru's sniffles caused Bakugou to look over to her. She had tears streaming down her sombrely smiling face. It may have been the wrong moment, but Bakugou and his impatient self couldn't wait any longer.

"Why do you keep following me around?"

"Huh...?"

"You heard me! Why?!" he furrowed his eyebrows. Hotaru whipped away her tears.

"I thought we established this," she had just made Bakugou even madder.

"Just answer the fucking question!"

"Because I'm trying to make friends for the first time in my life," she spat with venom laced in her words. Bakugou clenched his jaw.

"Why do you keep talking to _me_?! There are plenty of idiots in that stupid class to talk to," he growled.

"Is my presence hurting your ego?" Hotaru stood up and pursed her lips. She crossed her arms and frowned.

"Is the almighty Bakugou Katsuki wondering why you have decided to grace _me_-a mere peasant girl and lower life form-with being in your court of fools?" she spat.

"Start making some fucking sense!" Bakugou shouted. Hotaru turned around with grit teeth and an angry expression.

"I don't need to explain myself to you. Don't know why my existence makes you so pissed off, either," she gave Bakugou an over-the-shoulder glare. She turned away from him once again and began to walk away. Why was this boy so persistently angry and stupid? She mentally cursed herself for thinking she could open up to him.

Then she tripped over a rock.

"Shit..." she mumbled under her breath. She braced herself for the impact of her body on the pond water...but it never came. She peeked one eye open, staring at her reflection in the water that was only inches away from her face. She looked over her shoulder and realized Bakugou had grabbed her hand and saved her from her watery demise. His scowl was still there but was quickly replaced when he sighed.

"I don't know..."

Hotaru felt a tug on her arm. She was pulled up to her feet with such force that she fell into Bakugou's chest.

"I don't know what to think anymore. You're weaker than me, you have no confidence in yourself, and you didn't even try to use your quirk during the start of school...Yet you're friends with me..." he refused to look at her. There was a moment of silence, in which Hotaru unconsciously focused on the rise and fall of the blonde's chest.

"I don't get you, Lizard Girl."

Hotaru, still close to Bakugou, widened her eyes. The blonde had put his arms around her.

"You've been through hell, yet I see you go out of your way to talk to me every day..." he held her tightly. Hotaru's jaw dropped. Hugging Bakugou felt so...right...to her. She began to cry. Her tears wouldn't stop, so she just let go. She relaxed, letting her arms fall to her side as her tear-stained face buried itself in Bakugou's chest.

"I-I missed talking to you," she sniffled. Bakugou's cheeks turned red when he realized she was crying.

"Stop crying, damn it!" he shouted. Hotaru only cried harder.

"I can't!" she wailed.

**...**

**Yeah...I'm confident in this chapter! I kind of got impatient and decided to push the two closer. I hope I didn't overuse the excuse of them being away from each other for so long.**


	13. Something’s Up

**Chapter 13**

**Third P.o.V**

_'Hotaru, I'm telling you that twelfth place isn't that bad.'_

"It wasn't what I wanted, though...I promised myself that I'd get in the top ten, at least..."

Hotaru hadn't studied. With everything going on, how could she? When she learned they would be taking placement tests and that the class had exams coming up, she panicked.

Lucky for her, Kiyo managed to memorize some of the materials, but would only help after Hotaru begged. Now, everyone was dispersed into their groups and talking about their scores. However, Hotaru sat sulking at her desk.

"Hey, Anzai. Some of us are gonna study at Yaoyorozu's house. Do you wanna-" Kaminari paused when he saw Hotaru's teary eyes.

"O-Oh!" he widened his eyes as he panicked. Hotaru whipped away her tears and forced a chuckle.

"I'm just a little upset about my placement. Sorry about being a crybaby," she put on a false smile. Kaminari shook his head as Kirishima walked over.

"I guess you already asked her..." the redhead sighed. Hotaru sniffled, finally managing to stop her tears.

"What?" she gave Kirishima a confused look.

"I was gonna ask if you wanted to come and study with me and Bakugou," he laughed nervously. Hotaru thought for a moment. She leaned back in her chair, looking past Kirishima and Kaminari. Bakugou was looking at her from the corner of his eye but instantly looked away when he noticed she had caught him, causing her to smile softly.

"Sorry, Kaminari. I think I'll go with Eijirou and Katsuki," she said. Kaminari nodded.

'_He never stood a chance. Of course, you choose the loud blonde and the red one,'_ Kiyo sighed. Hotaru brushed off the comment.

"Okay, no worries!" Kaminari gave her a goofy grin.

"Alright!" Kirishima cheered. Hotaru couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah...It sounds fun," she nodded with a small giggle. She got up and walked over to Bakugou's desk, Kirishima following in suit.

"There you go. Now was that so hard?" he asked as the two approached the blonde. The plum-haired girl gave him a confused look, which he replied to with a grin. Bakugou glared at him-silently telling him to shut up.

"He didn't want to ask you himself, so he made me," Kirishima explained. Hotaru stifled her laughter.

"For once, Katsuki doesn't want to talk or shout?" she crossed her arms. Bakugou gazed up at her with a menacing glare, causing her to laugh harder.

'_That's odd. He's usually louder,' _Kiyo pointed out, some scepticism detectable in her voice.

"Shut up!" the loud blonde hissed. Kirishima seemed to have a moment of realization.

"Where are we going to meet up, anyway?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. The three froze. Hotaru thought for a moment and the perfect spot came into mind.

"I have just the place!"

**Hotaru's P.o.V**

"Where is he?" I wondered out loud.

I had promised Katsuki that I'd sit with him and Eijirou at lunch. I had just left the lunch line and now I had to find my friends. Furrowing my eyebrows, I looked around. Why did there have to be so many goddamn kids?

"I guess they shouldn't be too hard to find," I sighed. As I roamed the cafeteria, I passed a table that sat some of my classmates, including Midoriya, Iida, and Todoroki.

'_Sit with them. It would be easier to talk to them than trying to make conversation with the blonde,'_ Kiyo grumbled. I rolled my eyes and sighed.

"I like talking to Katsuki. I know he's a bit extra but sometimes you just have to show him who's boss," I explained as I used my enhanced hearing to try and snuff out the boy in question.

'_You know you didn't have to choose anyone to study with. We're fine on our own,' _Kiyo's suddenly sour tone caught me off guard.

"What's the point of having friends then? I'm not the smartest and Katsuki and Eijirou can fix that. You have to understand, Kiyo. We're not alone anymore," I explained in an unintentional hushed voice. I slightly widened my eyes as I spotted my friends. I waved.

"Plus, this is a good opportunity," I said as I approached and sat down.

"Are you talking to Kiyo?" Eijirou asked. Surprisingly, he seemed to be one of the only ones to actually try and talk to Kiyo since she's been sealed inside me. She talks back, too!

'_Hello, Red-haired friend of Hotaru's_.' Well...she does refer to him as '_Red-haired friend_' from time to time.

"She says hi," I laughed nervously as I looked at Katsuki.

"Are you done pouting?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. The blonde clicked his tongue.

"I'm not pouting," he spat. I smiled.

"Of course you're not," I began to dig into the food that had been served to me. It was a quiet lunch, which was surprising considering I sat with Katsuki. Actually...he hadn't done much talking all day. I would have to ask him about that...

**Later...**

Roles were reversed this time around. _I_ was waiting for Katsuki_. _After he threatened Midoriya or said whatever it is he says in that menacing tone of his, he met me outside. I sighed when I saw him approach.

"Threatening Midoriya took longer than usual. You've got more to say this time around?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Shut it," Katsuki hissed before walking right past me and out of the school gates. I gave him a worried look before running after him.

"You've been quiet...Are you okay?" I ceased my eyebrows with worry. He didn't answer, causing me to frown.

'_He seems normal,'_ Kiyo deadpanned.

"Fine. Don't talk to me," I said as I turned away from the blonde. I saw his eyes narrow before he grabbed my wrist.

"Wait, damn it."

I raised an eyebrow. Katsuki widened his eyes slightly as he quickly let go of me. He clicked his tongue then averted his gaze.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow," I muttered with a sigh. From the corner of my eye, I saw Katsuki look back at me as I walked away. I was disappointed but I wasn't going to walk home with him if he was going to be in a mood.

Alone, I made my way home and found that, for once, my mom was already there. She wasn't drunk, which meant she had to be suffering from a serious hangover...A hangover always meant I would experience some sort of pain. Whether mental or physical, I knew my mother would try and hurt me...

'_Tread carefully, Hotaru,'_ Kiyo suggested with a serious tone. I nodded.

"Hello," I quietly walked in and took my shoes off. There was no reply. My mother simply sat in silence. I slowly entered the room.

"Is...Is everything okay?" I asked as I crept in front of my mother. She was blankly staring at me.

"People at church are starting to ask me about you. They say we look alike and they've noticed our last names. Whatever stunt you pulled, I hope it paid off because it's about to cost me everything,"

I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat. I felt like I knew where this was getting at. My mother always kept her home life and church life separated. I was never allowed into the church and none of the church-goers could see me.

'_That's all her fault,_' Kiyo spat. I sighed.

"People are piecing things together. Your little acts at that school are causing people to lead themselves on, even though I constantly tell them I have nothing to do with something so clearly evil," my mother said. I flinched.

"Mom, I-" "Get out."

I blinked, my confusion clear on my face, "What?" She was kicking me out?

"Mom-" "Don't call me that and get out of my house!" she shouted. I winced as she threw a nearby book at me. My mother got up and began pushing me towards the door. When I stopped to try and appeal to her, she pushed me again and caused me to fall. My body hit the floor with a thud.

'_Hotaru!'_

"I said leave, damn it! I don't want you anywhere near me!" she shouted as she began kicking me. When given the chance, I winced and struggled to stand. My fuming mother pushed me out the door and slammed it behind me.

I was stunned. I sat in silence, staring at where my mother once was as a sigh escaped my throat. For some reason, I was calm. I guess I knew this day would come. She would kick me out but I wouldn't leave. I _can't_ leave...I have nowhere to go.

"_Someday_ she's going to accept that I'm her daughter," I said as I sat down on the few steps that led up to our porch.

'_Get up and go somewhere! She wants you to leave, at least do something eventful,'_ Kiyo suggested. I shrugged.

"It's not like I've got anywhere to go," I said as I stood up. I wasn't wanting to make things worse by fighting with Kiyo, so I got up and walked. Where to? I don't know. But I walked.

**-.-**

**I've been getting antsy and have been trying to push Hotaru and Bakugou together a little more. I mean, it's already chapter 13 and like nothing's happened, yet. I hope you liked this chapter, anyway! Please leave some reviews or something. I'd enjoy it!**


	14. Study Time!

**Chapter 14**

**Hotaru's P.o.V**

I had stayed outside until my mother left. I would have gone somewhere but I had nowhere to go. Besides, I was going to study with Katsuki and Eijirou and I needed my books. I waited until my mother was gone and out of sight, I picked the lock to the backdoor with my fake key and got in.

'_I still say you should just go and never come back,'_ Kiyo spat as I walked up the stairs. I sighed, leaving her question to go unanswered. I got to my room and put on a casual pair of clothes. It was my first time to actually have plans with friends...

I sighed, picking out a dark blue jacket and black leggings with an icy blue tank top as well as black shoes. I zipped up my jacket halfway and took a deep breath before exiting the house. This time, of my own free will.

The night before, I texted Katsuki and Eijirou to meet me at the front gates of UA. Eijirou had texted back with a few questions, but in the end, he agreed. Katsuki had yet to text to me, which left Kiyo a little salty.

'_Oh, look who decided to show_,' the spirit spat. When I got to UA, I found both Katsuki and Eijirou to be there. I waved and Eijirou waved back. Katsuki just nodded with his usual scowl. They stared at me for a bit. I nervously laughed.

"Hey, Hotaru," Eijirou grinned. I sighed in relief.

"Guys," I nodded.

"Where are we going?" Katsuki got straight to the point. I smirked.

"Follow me," I winked. I did an about-face and began walking away from UA. As I followed the path I burned into my memory, I could see Katsuki start to remember.

I was, indeed, taking them to the little pond that once was owned by Shimura Nana. The worst that could happen would be our papers and books falling into the water. We were safe from other people.

'_No mothers to worry about_,' Kiyo interrupted my train of thought. I rolled my eyes.

"Are you serious?" Katsuki grumbled when I revealed the entrance. I chuckled, pulling back part of the wall of vines.

"I figured it would be quiet, so we could work peacefully. Also, we get a nice view!" I pulled back some of the vines and let the boys go through first.

"Woah..." Eijirou's jaw dropped. I giggled.

"You and Katsuki had about the same reaction," I noted before walking over to the stone bench and pulling my books out of my bag. Due to my small size, all of us were able to fit on the bench and do our work.

The day went on as I had planned. Eijirou got hit by a book, Katsuki threw a book at Eijirou, and I almost charred the book because I was beginning to get a headache...Everything was great! Katsuki, who I had noticed was very quiet the day before, seemed to be back to normal, with the exception of avoiding a few of my questions. He was throwing more insults at me than he usually does, though. Even Eijirou noticed.

"You useless idiot, that's wrong!" Katsuki spat as he erased the answer I had put down. I creased my eyebrows.

'_Kill him, already,_' Kiyo grumbled, clearly ticked off.

"Hey, Bakugou. Maybe lay off a little?" Eijirou said with a worried look. I shook my head.

"It's fine, Eijirou. He's just being honest. _Brutal_...but honest," I sighed. I had come to accept my stupidity as part of my character.

"Still..." Eijirou mumbled as he looked to the pond. I sighed.

"It's official...I'm an idiot..." I stood up to stretch my legs. There was a moment of silence, then laughter. Katsuki's laughter.

"At least you admitted it," he said. I raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, dumbass, why don't you fuck off?" I mocked as I stuck out my tongue. I heard Eijirou groan at the conversation.

"You sound like Bakugou..." he pointed out. I couldn't help but join the laughter.

'_This is what friendship looks like.'_

**Later...**

**3rd P.o.V**

The three classmates were packing up to leave the garden. Kirishima and Bakugou were still picking up their things, but Hotaru was ready to go. She stood and waited until they were done.

"You guys ready?" she asked as she threw her bag over her shoulder. The boys nodded.

"What do you think the exam will be like?" Kirishima asked as they walked.

"Didn't someone say it was going to be like the entrance exam? Robots and stuff?" Hotaru asked. Bakugou snickered.

"Who cares. All that matters is that I get the best score!" he raised his voice a bit. Hotaru winced at the volume.

"Tone it down a notch, will you?" she sighed and Bakugou quieted down. While they walked, Hotaru looked to each of the stores they passed. She knew she and Kirishima had the same idea when they saw an ice cream parlour and shared a look. Bakugou didn't seem to notice the shimmering look of deviance in their eyes.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Yup."

"What the fuck are you two-" "Ice cream!" Kirishima and Hotaru shouted in unison. They both ran towards the little building. Hotaru spun around when she noticed Bakugou had yet to move.

"No," Bakugou spat. He didn't even have to hear what the stupid Lizard Girl was going to say. The sparkle in her blood-coloured eyes spoke for itself.

"Yes," Hotaru giggled as she ran back to Bakugou. She gave him a smile before grabbing his hand.

'_What the fuck?!_' he wanted to say, but only repeated inside his own head. He felt a warmth rise up in his cheeks as the plum-haired girl dragged him inside the shop. She was like a kid.

"I got him!" Hotaru grinned at Kirishima who saw the two and simply chuckled. He had been waiting in line while the girl grabbed the angry blonde.

"Nice," he snickered, high fiving Hotaru. The purple-haired teen scanned the menu and eventually decided what she wanted. What she had yet to realize was quickly pointed out to her by Kiyo.

'_Ahem_!' the spirit cleared her throat...somehow. Hotaru looked back to her shadow and the familiar red eyes.

"What?" she whispered as to not draw attention to herself.

'_Hands_,' Kiyo spat. Hotaru stared at her shadow with a confused expression.

'_For Heaven's sake, Hotaru, your hands! Let go of the boy!_' Kiyo grew impatient and started yelling. Hotaru looked down, finally noticing her right hand was still clasping Bakugou's. She felt her face grow hot. Bakugou didn't seem to notice. She paused for a moment, wondering what the big deal was. Then, she silently, she let go of his hand and he didn't seem to notice. Had he even noticed they were still holding hands up until a second ago? The girl's face turned beet red as she pretended to read the menu again.

"Are you okay, Hotaru?" Kirishima noticed her blush. Hotaru nodded, fearing that if she said something or drew attention to the fact she had just been holding Bakugou's hand, she'd make things worse. She simply stared at the menu.

When Hotaru had gotten to the front of the line and ordered her cold dessert, she was forced to wait for Bakugou and Kirishima. Just so she had something to do, she looked out the windows of the store.

'_Hotaru_,' Kiyo got her attention. Hotaru looked back to her shadow from the corner of her eye.

'_Across the street_,' the spirit's voice had a hint of resentment in it. Hotaru raised an eyebrow. She followed the spirit's directions...

There, across the street, stood Hotaru's mother.

"Holy shit..." She mumbled. The woman was stumbling out of a bar with a martini and a well-dressed man who was linking arms with her. She felt her chest tighten at the sight of her mother laughing and having a good time. She had never seen her that happy...

"That fucking bitch," Bakugou suddenly came up behind her. Hotaru didn't bother looking away from her mother.

"Makes me sick," the blonde spat. Hotaru sighed, closing her eyes for a second.

'_She's evil,_' Kiyo spat. The only thing the two ever agreed on and it was that Hotaru's mother was not fit to take care of her.

"I guess she wasn't at church after all," Hotaru let out a short, breathy chuckle. Bakugou gave her a mean glare.

"I don't know know why you're fucking laughing," he spat. He looked back to Kirishima and made sure he wasn't about to interrupt. He then turned back to Hotaru.

"She's laughing and having fun, knowing full well that the shit she does to you is fucking wrong," he said in a hushed growl. For once, he seemed to actually want no one to hear what he had to say. There was a moment of silence between them.

Then a sniffle.

Bakugou snapped his head in Hotaru's direction. He saw tears run down her cheeks and panicked.

"Why the-" "There's nothing I can say that will redeem my mother...but I don't want anyone to blame her. She's the only family I have and I want to give her the benefit of the doubt, I guess," Hotaru's voice cracked as she sniffled once again.

"Okay, guys, we've got-Woah! Why are you crying?" Kirishima walked over and instantly noticed the tears and emotions. He looked at Bakugou with a concerned expression.

"I said for you to keep her company, not make her cry!" he said. Bakugou's vein nearly popped out of his forehead.

"I didn't do this, you idiot!" he shouted. Hotaru forced out a laugh as she whipped away her tears with her jacket sleeve.

"It's fine. I'm just thinking about something," she smiled.

"What?" Bakugou asked, not thinking of the girl's privacy. Hotaru hesitated for a moment.

"What great friends I have," she jumped up a bit and wrapped her arms around Kirishima and Bakugou's necks. She had to pull them down a bit so they were on her level. If they stood up normally, they would pull her off the ground completely.

"Thanks. You're pretty cool, too," Kirishima laughed. Hotaru giggled as she let go of the boys, linking arms with them, instead.

"Now, let's go before we get kicked out," she began moving for the door.

"Why the hell would we get kicked out?" Bakugou asked, creasing his eyebrows as he followed the petite girl.

"Because we have you with us, idiot," Hotaru gave him a short chuckle. She opened the door and pulled the two boys outside. Together, the three of them made their way to the train station. Hotaru smiled the whole time. She finally had real friends. Friends with whom she could share this happy moment. That thought hit her hard. Ultimately, it had been a great day.

She couldn't wait to do it again.

**-.-**

**Special Thanks To...**

_**Akagami hime chan**_

**Reviews!**

**Akagami hime chan:** Thank you so much! Your reviews mean a lot to me and I loved getting to see what you thought. I hope I don't disappoint and keep entertaining you! Thanks, love!


	15. Mothers New Friend

**Chapter 15**

**Hotaru's P.o.V**

'_This could have easily been avoided if you listened to me and stayed at home,' _Kiyo spat with a judgmental tone. I rolled my eyes as I ran back to my house. The sound of my shoes against the wet pavement got faster as I sped up.

I was on my way to meet Katsuki and Eijirou for another study date but I realized I had left my bag at home. So, I was forced to run back. I was also forced to listen to Kiyo's I-told-you-so's.

"Sorry..." I mumbled. I soon reached the familiar red-bricked building. Surprisingly, the front door was unlocked. I was sure I had locked it before leaving. It made sense when I walked in and saw my mother glaring at me while holding two wine glasses and a champagne bottle.

"What are you doing here?!" she spat in a hushed voice. I shrunk a little, intimidated by her furious look.

"I thought you were supposed to be out...doing whatever the hell it is you do," my mother raised an eyebrow. I looked to the ground.

"I forgot my stuff..." I mumbled. My mother stopped for a second to stare at me.

"Satomi? Everything alright?" a male voice called from the living room area. My mother sighed.

"Yes! The neighbour's daughter just came by to grab some misplaced mail," she said with a somewhat cheery tone.

'_Most definitely false._'

My mother glared at me for a few seconds with an expectant look, "Don't just stand there. Get your shit and leave."

"Right," I began walking towards the staircase. Suddenly, my mom grabbed my wrist and pulled me back. Her grip was so tight that her knuckles had turned white. I

"If you jeopardize my fun, I will make sure you never see any of your so-called-friends _ever_ again," she said quietly. She was so close to me that I could practically smell the booze she had downed that morning. I nodded.

"Go," my mother threw my arm back towards me as if she was ridding herself of filth. I quietly crept up to my room, the sound of my mother and her new friend's laughter reaching my ears. I closed my eyes for a moment.

'_Are you okay?'_ Kiyo spoke up. I nodded slowly.

"Yeah...This is just...Well, it's not new," I couldn't come up with a word to describe the situation. The blank expression on my face showed how deep in thought I was as I put my back against my bedroom door.

'_You're better off without her,'_ Kiyo said before going silent again. I narrowed my eyes. Maybe she was right...In fifteen years, I had never once seen my mother smile or laugh. At least not while I was around. She was downstairs having the time of her life with a man who doesn't know I exist. Considering the fact that he managed to get invited into our home, the mystery man must have piqued my mother's interest.

"For a church-goer, you can handle your liquor pretty well," I heard the man chuckle. My mother giggled.

"I can handle a lot more than that," she said in a sultry tone. I shook my head as I walked over to my bed.

"Good for her, I guess," I mumbled as I grabbed my bag. I silently stood for a moment. There were some bad thoughts flooding through my head, so loud that it was like standing next to a raging river. This was different than Kiyo. This was bad...I felt it...My grip on my bag tightened, knuckles whitening and hands shaking as the voices grew louder.

_She doesn't need you. In fact, she hates you._

_She wants you dead._

_You **should** be dead._

_Why aren't you dead?_

I shut my eyes and tried to ignore them. A long time ago, I had learned to push the toxic thoughts to the back of my mind. It was a skill I used often. It wouldn't silence Kiyo, but the negative thoughts could always be pushed away with it.

'_Hotaru.'_

"Yeah..." I had been snapped back into reality by Kiyo. I sighed before walking back downstairs. While dodging my mother and her date, I slipped outside. It was no longer raining.

"That's a good start..."

**Later...**

I looked through the window of the restaurant Katsuki, Eijirou and I had decided to study in. I was watching the two boys; monitoring how they act when I'm not there. It's pretty much the same. Katsuki was hitting Eijirou over the head with a book. Of course, the redhead put his arms up and tried to defend himself. I couldn't hear what they said but I knew Katsuki was yelling because people were staring. I sighed as I made my way to the door.

'_Focus on studying. Don't get off topic,'_ Kiyo ordered. I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, _mom," _I said, using more sarcasm than I intended.

'_I don't think I'm anything like that witch. Hardly comparable,' _Kiyo spat. A small smile made its way onto my face. As I walked in, the little bell above the door announced my arrival. A few heads turned towards me and a waitress asked how many people in my party. I simply pointed to Katsuki and Eijirou. The look she gave me seemed to ask if I was aware of what I was asking. I nodded with a smile. She gave me an unsure glance as she let me pass. I approached the table that seated the two boys and apparently went unnoticed.

"Seriously?! It's easy! You should be getting this, you spiky-haired dumbass!" Katsuki shouted at Eijirou. I looked to my right to see a worried waitress who was probably questioning if she should interfere.

"I got it," I put a hand on her shoulder. She stared at me for a bit before giving me a nod. I walked towards the table.

"Come on, Spiky-Hair! How can you be a man if you can't understand the easiest question on the goddamned paper?!"

"Bakugou, chill out!"

"Katsuki, if you keep hitting him with that book, I'm gonna burn it."

The two boys froze. They looked over to me with shocked expressions. I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Put it down," I ordered in a polite tone. It took Katsuki a minute to realize I had aimed my words at him. He frowned.

"You're not-" "Put it down before I cook you," I narrowed my eyes. Katsuki dropped the book onto the table and furrowed his eyebrows.

"Happy?" he grumbled. I paused.

"Satisfied."

"Thank you," the worried waitress whispered from behind me as she passed by. I gave her a wink before sitting down next to Katsuki. There was a moment of silence between us.

"What happened, Hotaru? We figured you'd bailed on us," Eijirou forced a short chuckled. I laughed nervously.

"Yeah...Sorry about that. Something happened at home and I lost track of time," I could see Katsuki narrow his eyes at the mention of my home.

"Is everything okay?" Eijirou asked. I nodded.

"Yeah," I gave him a reassuring smile. With that, our day went on. We were just studying but the boys didn't understand how much it meant to me. I honestly don't think they ever could...

** ...**

**Oh? What is this? A short chapter?**

**I actually needed to stop this here so I can have a head start on next week's chapter. Trust me, it will be worth it. I hope you guys are enjoying this! Look out for Chapter 16!**

**Special Thanks To...**

**breeswalkingaway**

**CWyse23**

**AkzMoMo**

**Reviews****...**

**breeswalkingaway-**Aw, thanks, Love! I'm so happy you like my little Lizard Girl. She's currently my favourite Oc so I'm glad you enjoy reading about her adventures. Please continue to do so!


	16. Return of Property

**Chapter 16**

**Hotaru's P.o.V**

After studying, Katsuki, Eijirou, and I went our separate ways for the rest of the day. I was about half a mile away from my house when my phone began to ring. I dug in my bag until I pulled out my phone. I creased my eyebrows as I realized it wasn't my phone.

'_Why do you have that?'_ Kiyo asked as I pulled another phone out of my bag. The caller was simply labelled 'Old Hag_'_. I clicked the answer button.

"Hello?"

"_Lizard Girl?" _

It was Katsuki.

I raised an eyebrow, "Katsuki? Why are you-" "_Give me back my fucking phone!_" I had to move the device away from my ear. I winced.

'_So it's his...'_ Kiyo mumbled.

"I didn't even know I had it!" I snapped. I heard Katsuki mumble something. I thought for a moment, realizing that Katsuki's phone was sitting on the table and must have fallen into my bag.

"I don't give a shit! Give me back my phone," the blonde spat.

"Do you want it back or not?" I asked with a ticked off tone. Katsuki grew quiet.

"Look, just text me your address and I'll drop it off," I offered. I could hear Katsuki's surprised by my suggestion.

"Fine," he finally agreed. Abruptly, he hung-up then texted me his address. I took a deep breath before turning around and starting my journey to Katsuki's home.

'_You drop off the phone then leave as fast as you can,'_ Kiyo demanded. I rolled my eyes.

"Helicopter parent," I grumbled. Kiyo scoffed.

'_I don't like that boy and I never will,'_ she spat. I looked at my shadow from the corner of my eye.

"He's not that bad, Kiyo. Katsuki's...sweet," I felt a bead of sweat fall down my forehead. Trying to describe the boy was a bit of a challenge.

'_We're talking about the same loud blonde, right?' _Kiyo asked. I smirked.

"You'll just have to see past his volume. Trust me, Kiyo, you're gonna get used to it," I said with an honest tone. About ten minutes later, I arrived at Katsuki's apartment. It seemed nice but I knew that behind the wooden door was a tempered blonde who was awaiting the arrival of a girl who had his phone. I dug the device out of my bag and held it tightly in my hand. I rested my hand on the door, hesitant to knock.

'_Knock already!'_ Kiyo yelled. I jumped at her sudden shout. I knocked, the spirit scaring me into acting out her demand. I paled, body freezing up like a deer in headlights. I heard the locks unlock and held my breath.

'_Shit.'_

"Hey," Katsuki opened the door. I stared at him for a bit.

"S-Sorry," was all I could say as I handed his phone back to him. I saw him glare at me with a questioning look. Suddenly, he grabbed my arm and pulled me inside, receiving a yelp in response. I widened my eyes as I managed to stand back up and looked around the apartment. It was so...home-y.

"KATSUKI! Did you find your phone?!" a female voice shouted from the kitchen. I winced from the volume. Katsuki grumbled something intelligible as a blonde lady walked into the room. She paused when she saw me.

"Who's this?" she asked, eyebrow raised in confusion. Katsuki narrowed his eyes.

"Um...H-Hello, Ma'am. Er...I'm Anzai Hotaru," I stuttered but managed to get my sentence out. The lady looked to Katsuki with a confused look.

He rolled his eyes, "She's a friend from class." The blonde lady's eyes lit up like a firework.

"Why didn't you say so?!" she shouted as she rushed towards me.

"I'm Bakugou Mitsuki! Katsuki's my idiot son," she shook my hand. I smiled sheepishly as Katsuki's vein popped at the comment.

"Nice to meet you," I said with a nervous chuckle. Mitsuki grinned as she ushered me towards the kitchen.

"You have to stay for dinner so you can tell me all about how that hothead acts during school," she said as she pulled me. I felt a hard tug on my other arm. Mitsuki was forced to stop. She looked back at me.

"Stop it, hag," Katsuki demanded. He had grabbed my arm and saved me from his mother. I narrowed my eyes.

"You shouldn't call your mother that. It's not nice," I said. Mitsuki let go of me and crossed her arms.

"At least _someone_ has some manners," she spat. I felt Katsuki's grip on my wrist tighten.

"Alright...You kids go do whatever. Just keep him from doing anything stupid if you can. Dinner will be done in a little bit," Mitsuki caved. She walked back into the kitchen and Katsuki sighed.

"She seems-" I stopped talking as Katsuki pulled me towards a door. I raised an eyebrow when I saw what was inside.

'_Must be his room...'_ I thought, hesitant to enter. Kiyo obviously saw some red flags.

'_Hotaru don't you dare go in there! I forbid it!'_ she shouted. For once, I managed to ignore her. I watched Katsuki walk in and followed closely behind.

"Are you going to walk in or stand there like a dumbass?" the blonde asked. I smiled as I sat on his bed.

"What the fuck are you doing?" he noticed as he turned away from the door he just shut. I shrugged, oblivious to the problem.

"Sitting," I raised an eyebrow as I. My answer seemed to piss off my classmate even more.

"Get off my bed," he demanded. I looked around, surveying the piece of furniture.

"Don't think I will," I smirked. Katsuki furrowed his eyebrows as he clenched his fist to appear threatening.

"Move or else," he said, deepening his voice a bit. I flopped back onto the bed and closed my eyes.

"Or else what?" I mocked. I heard approaching footsteps, then quiet. I peeked one eye open and saw Katsuki sitting on the floor next to me. With a sigh, I sat up and glanced over to the blonde.

"So, did your phone _really _fall into my bag by accident?"

"What the fuck are you-" "We both know it didn't just slide off the table. Cut the crap, Katsuki," I narrowed my eyes. Katsuki groaned as he rolled his eyes.

"Fine," he grumbled, "I put it in there."

"Why?" I cocked an eyebrow.

"Because I needed an excuse," Katsuki tried to mutter under his breath. My confusion only grew. I tilted my head a bit.

"An excuse for what?" I asked.

"To have you walk all the way over here," Katsuki spat. I gave him a puzzled stare.

"I need to talk to you," he sighed as he stood up. He looked at me with a look of confusion rather than his normal scow and I felt a bit of sweat form on my skin.

"I-" "Katsuki! You and your friend get in here! Dinner's ready!"

I flinched at Mitsuki's sudden shout. Katsuki seemed to grit his teeth as he lowered his head a bit, bangs covering his eyes. I raised an eyebrow. My stomach let out a deep growl and Kiyo began to complain.

"Let's talk later. I'm hungry," I reluctantly brushed off Katsuki's statement and walked past him and towards the kitchen. Once we were in the kitchen and had gotten our plates, I dug in. The food was deliciously cooked fish and steamed rice. It was better than anything I had ever made. When I finished, I made sure to thank Mitsuki.

"It was delicious! Better than anything I could make," I nodded with a chuckle. Mitsuki smiled.

"Thank you! Now, tell me all about how this idiot acts during school," she rested her chin on her hand. I giggled as Katsuki grumbled something about his mother being a pest.

"Katsuki's sweet," I started. I saw Mitsuki's eyebrows quirk up and Katsuki's face turned a light shade of pink. He averted his gaze as I looked at him from the corner of my eye. Both seemed slightly shocked by my answer.

"Other than his volume, he's not bad. He and another friend have been helping me study. In all reality, he's probably helped me more than he should," I laughed awkwardly. Mitsuki's smile grew.

"Didn't think you'd ever snag a nice girl, Katsuki," she winked before picking up her plate and heading for the kitchen. I stood up and grabbed my plate while taking Katsuki's with my tail. He frowned, clearly upset with my his mother and I's alliance.

"Your mother seems nice," I mumbled to him before turning around and helping Mitsuki clean some more. While we continued to talk, I couldn't help but think about how I could have had this experience with my own mother, had things been different. For once, I didn't feel as if it was my fault, though. When the time came for me to go home, Mitsuki and Katsuki both saw me to the door.

"I hate to send you home. It's so nice to have someone _quiet_ in this household," Katsuki received a glare from his mother. I giggled as I grabbed my things.

"Thank you for dinner. Sorry I just kind of showed up," I felt a bead of sweat roll down my forehead. Mitsuki nodded with a wide grin. She pulled me into a hug and whispered into my ear.

"Take care of that idiot. I can see that you've changed him. Keep it up," she said. When we parted, I smiled.

"I will," I nodded. I walked over to Katsuki, quickly giving him a hug that clearly surprised him.

"I'm gonna get payback for you making me come all the way over here," I whispered into his ear before I let go of him. His eyebrow lifted and I gave him a smile. After once more thanking his mother, I ran out the door. I couldn't get rid of my smile and it stayed on my face during the whole walk home.

**...**

**The next chapter will be the exam and I just want to let you all know that I'll have to arrange some of the teams and who they're fighting so that the story can go where it needs to. **

_**Thanks for reading, Loves!**_

**Reviews...**

**Akagami hime chan: **I'm happy to hear you like it! I'm working on the next chapter and hope you love it just as much.


	17. Exam!

**Chapter 17**

**Hotaru's P.o.V**

I had completely forgotten about the practical part of the exam. Aizawa had us gather outside, various pro heroes and UA teachers standing beside him.

"I expect that all of you have gathered information ahead of time and have some idea of what you will be doing," he sighed.

"We're fighting robot warriors like the entrance exam, right?" Kaminari asked.

"For various reasons, the exam will be different starting this time!" the principal chirped as he jumped out from his hiding place.

'_Great...' _

"From now on, we want to focus on person-to-person combat and hero work. Stress teaching that is closer to actual fighting," Principal Nezu explained. I sighed, even less prepared than before.

"We'll have you form teams of two and fight against one teacher!" the little furry headmaster smiled. I felt my jaw drop.

'_Are they seriously putting inexperienced children up against professionals?' _Kiyo sounded very skeptical. I couldn't help but notice the inexperienced part...

"Excuse me?" I snapped.

"Something wrong, Anzai?"

"N-No, Sir," I gave Aizawa a slight nod while I started sweating. He shot me a glare before thankfully brushing it off.

"In addition, the pairs and who they will be up against have already been decided. These have been determined at my discretion based on various factors, including fighting style, grades, and interpersonal relationships," the dark-haired teacher explained. I sighed.

"So here they are..." I listened for my name as Aizawa went through the various teams and which teacher they would fight. I noticed the confusion in Katsuki's eyes when it was mentioned that he would be on the same team as Midoriya. I almost felt bad for the little green-haired boy. Then I saw the large mass that is All Might fall from the sky and instantly felt bad for _both_ boys. Just his blinding ego was enough to bring a villain down.

Of course, I would never say that to his face.

"Now we will read off the teams and who they will be up against all at once!" Principal Nezu said with a cheery tone. I gave him my undivided attention and listened for my name. After a few seconds, I heard it...

"The third group will be Anzai Hotaru and Mineta Minoru up against Cementoss," the little furry creature explained. I felt all my blood drain itself from my body.

'_What?'_ Kiyo deadpanned. A little hand tugged on my cloak. I looked down with narrowed eyes. The purple-haired pervert stood next to me with a smug look on his face.

"Looks like we're partners," Mineta had a little stream of droom falling out of his grinning mouth. My throat dried up as I thought of something to say.

"Oh...God, no..." I mumbled. Lucky for me, I didn't have to keep up the conversation for long because Nezu began talking again.

"The time limit for the exam will be thirty minutes! Your objective is to either put these handcuffs on the teacher or to have one of you escape from the stage!" he told us. I raised an eyebrow as various teachers chipped in their own words of encouragement and whatnot.

"So...If it's teachers against students...they're going to have some sort of tactical advantage that they sneak in..." I began to lose myself to my thoughts.

'_It could be that they're more experienced or that they don't get tired as easily...Whatever it is, just remember that you have a teammate. Use that extra strength--whatever amount it may be--to your advantage,' _Kiyo said sternly. I glanced over to Mineta.

"If I wanted to, I could use him as bait...Not sure how long he'll last, though..." I mumbled. I looked to Cementoss and narrowed my eyes. I remembered his quirk from the festival, so I already knew what I was up against. My flames would need to get much hotter to be able to burn through cement...I began thinking of strategies as everyone was finished talking.

Once again thinking of who my teammate would be, I sighed, '_This ought to be fun.'_

**...**

I wanted nothing more than to get in a good fight. Watching everyone else made me antsy. I watched Asui and Tokoyami finish their battle and pass with flying colors. Sadly, I knew the next battle was my own. I sighed as I turned towards the door of the monitoring room.

"I guess I better get going..." I said. Ochaco and Midoriya, who were watching the battles with me, nodded.

"Good luck, Hotaru!" Ochaco said. I returned her nod before exiting the small room and making my way to where Mineta and I would be fighting. As we stood at the front gates, I could see that Mineta seemed somewhat calm. I looked down at him.

"Are you ready?" I asked. Mineta silently stared forward.

"I'm terrified," he sontaniously started crying. I used my tail to smack the back of his head.

"Don't piss yourself, yet," I grumbled as I narrowed my eyes.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing?! We're not prepared to face a pro hero head-on!" Mineta shouted. I sighed.

"Watching everyone else fight gave me some ideas. I know what we're up against and I have a plan," I explained. A loud buzz came from the speakers.

_"Team Anzai and Mineta, practical exam. Ready, go!"_

"Follow me," Mineta, still crying, followed my directions and stayed behind me. We turned a corner and right in front of us was our opponent. I noticed the weighted bracelets that Nezu had mentioned would be worn. Cementoss put his hands on the ground and I went on high alert.

"Watch it!" I shouted as I grabbed Mineta with my tail and pulled him back. Cementoss' wall nearly hit us. I let out a short sigh through my nostrils.

'_Too close,_' Kiyo muttered.

"W-What do we do now?" Mineta asked, small body shaking.

"If we're supposed to be fighting our own weaknesses...Then I'm going to have to watch how much blood I use..." I thought out loud as I looked around.

"Cementoss must not be attacking because he wants us to exhaust ourselves first..." I mumbled.

"Let's just go for the exit! You can use your fire to shoot us towards the exit, right?" Mineta asked. I shook my head.

"He could just stop us with a wall and the force of impact would most likely break our bones...We have no choice but to fight head-on," I took deep breaths to calm myself. Mineta's worried eyes widened. I thought about the tactic the last team used.

'_Hotaru.'_

"What?"

'_I have an idea...'_

I raised an eyebrow as I looked to my shadow. Mineta gave me a confused stare as it most likely looked like I was talking to myself. I hesitated before agreeing.

"I'm all ears, Kiyo."

**Recovery Girl's Room...**

**Third P.o.V**

Bakugou walked into the monitoring room. Midoriya's eyes widened as he saw the blonde walk through the door. Uraraka raised an eyebrow.

"Bakugou?"

"Kacchan, what are you-" "I'm just here to watch Lizard Girl fight, so shut up and pay attention," Bakugou spat as he kept his eyes on the screen. Midoriya nodded before turning back around.

'_You've got this, Lizard Girl. Kick his ass,'_ Bakugou mentally rooted for the purple-haired girl as he watched her close her eyes.

Hotaru sighed, "Okay...It's worth a shot."

"What?" Mineta looked more confused than before.

"Here's the plan..." Hotaru leaned down and whispered something into Mineta's ear. When she was finished, the small boy nodded. Bakugou narrowed his eyes.

'_What the hell are you and that demon planning?' _he thought.

"Okay...Let's do this," Hotaru nodded. Mineta grabbed the balls on top of his head and began throwing them up the wall Cementoss made. Once he was finished, Hotaru grabbed him with her tail and began scaling the wall.

"They're climbing it?" Midoriya wondered out loud.

"You know what to do," Hotaru muttered as they stood on top of the wall. Mineta nodded.

"Hey, Block-Head! Up here!" Hotaru shouted. Bakugou smirked, noticing the fact that her words sounded like his.

"Attack me!" the teen shouted once again. Cementoss narrowed his eyes.

"As you wish," he created another wall that began to head for Hotaru. She grinned as she bit into her hand. She sucked out as much blood as she could before the wall got too close. Then, with only seconds to spare, she shot a large flame out of her hand. She was thrown into the air with a surprising amount of speed that made Bakugou grin pridefully as the other two kids dropped their jaws.

"Hell yeah."

"Too slow!" Hotaru yelled as she came hurtling towards the ground. She unclasped her cloak and threw it off her, revealing her black body suit and light grey skirt. Cementoss put up a few more walls when he realized she was headed right for him.

However, Hotaru crashed right through them.

Uraraka and Midoriya winced and Bakugou clenched his jaw. As Hotaru crashed through the third wall, she heard a grotesque sound and felt a searing pain run through her right arm. She was sure she broke it. When she finally came down, Cementoss dodged, leaving her attempt at capturing him to be fruitless. The sheer force created a small crater in the earth beneath her. She instantly lost consciousness. Dust rose up around her still body. All became quiet as everyone watching waited for the dust cloud to settle.

"You missed me. You have failed," Cementoss approached the young girl. Once Hotaru's body was visible, he could see her fanged grin. It wasn't her controlling the body, but Kiyo. Bakugou was the only one to notice this.

"Who says you were the target?" Kiyo snickered.

Cementoss raised an eyebrow. When he opened his mouth to say something, the click of closing handcuffs made him aware of the situation. Mineta had handcuffed him, sweaty and smiling.

"Aha!" Mineta laughed, shakily and victoriously. The viewers' eyes widened.

"Where did he come from?!" Midoriya gasped.

"_Team Anzai and Mineta have passed!" _

Bakugou's grin widened, catching the attention of Midoriya. It was rare for him to see the blonde this happy. He was clearly glad to see his friend win.

"I'm happy you won, Hotaru..." Kiyo smiled. Mineta was still cackling, probably in shock and unable to stop. This upset Kiyo.

"Purple Pervert, get over here and help me," she spat. Mineta quit laughing.

"Oh, r-right," he stuttered. He walked over and helped Kiyo up. He grinned, this time it was because Kiyo didn't notice he was grasping Hotaru's breast.

"Are you okay?" he asked. Kiyo sighed.

"I'm sure that reckless move broke the legs and arms of this body," she muttered as All Might came out and took her.

"I've got her, Young Mineta," he said reassuringly. Kiyo sighed. She felt a small smile tug at her lips as she thought about Hotaru's possible reaction to knowing she passed.

"She'll be happy to say the least," the spirit mumbled as she let herself be carried to Recovery girl.


	18. Make Sure To Catch The Fight

**Chapter 18**

**3rd P.o.V**

Bakugou had yet to fight and wasn't interested in seeing anyone else do so. At the moment, the only thing he had planned on doing was going to see if Hotaru was awake and healed. She had fallen pretty hard..Hard enough to make everyone watching physically recoil wen she came into contact with the ground...When he got to the hallway that held the door to Recovery Girl's room, his path became blocked by a grinning Mineta. The purple-haired boy was standing in front of the door in a daydream-like state.

"Move," Bakugou spat. Mineta jumped, snapping himself out of his daze.

"I-I'm not supposed to. Recovery Girl is healing Anzai and no one's allowed to go in there," he said, clearly intimidated by the blonde before him. Bakugou narrowed his eyes. He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

"Why the hell are you smiling?" he growled. Mineta's face twisted into a bigger grin.

"When Anzai and I were fighting, she let me hide under her cloak so I could sneak past Cementoss. I got to cop a feel of her small, sexy, body. Then, while helping her up, I touched her-" Mineta let out a fearful squeak as Bakugou pulled him up off his feet and pinned him against the wall.

"_What_ was that?!" he hissed with a sadistic grin. Mineta choked as the blonde held him by his throat.

"What the fuck did you do?! Do you wanna say that again?" Bakugou was clearly very pissed. He tightened his grip on Mineta's little body.

"Why...do you even c-care?" the boy managed to ask. Suddenly, Bakugou dropped him. Mineta fell to the floor, coughing.

"I _care_ because she's my fucking friend," Bakugou spat before angrily walking away. He stormed off down the hallway, muttering something to himself. Mineta watches him with fearful-yet-confused eyes.

**Hotaru's P.o.V**

By the time I had woken up, the last fight had already started. I was sad I missed basically everything but I knew the most important one was still going on. I sighed.

"Why does it take so long for me to wake up...?" I groaned.

'_Because you're healing for two_,' Kiyo pointed out. I narrowed my eyes. I took the covers off me and swung my feet over the side of the bed. Recovery girl hurried to my side and gently pushed me back.

"You shouldn't move. You still need to heal," she said. I gave her a small smile as I forced myself up.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am, but I can't miss another one of Katsuki's fights," I stood up. Ignoring the pain in my legs, I shuffle towards the door.

'_Voices of reason never phase you...'_ Kiyo sighed. I was silent as I made my way to the viewing room so I could catch some of Katsuki and Midoriya's fight.

"Hey, Hotaru! Feeling better?" Ochaco asked once I walked in. She, Iida, Asui, and Yaoyorozu were watching the two boys undergo their exam. I gave her a warm smile.

"Good enough to walk down here and see the fight," I nodded as I walked closer to the screens. I looked up in time to see All Might interrupt Midoriya and Katsuki's conversation. The pro destroyed the blonde's gauntlets and threw him into a building, but Katsuki burst right back out of it. Unfortunately, Midoriya was thrown into Katsuki's path and the boys slammed into each other. They fell to the ground with a thud.

'_Look.' _Kiyo caught my attention. I squinted my eyes and examined the monitor closer. Through the dust, I could see Katsuki struggling while being squished under All Might's foot. Midoriya was suspended into the air via the hero holding his wrist.

"Why isn't he doing anything...?" I mumbled.

'_Hotaru, what do you notice?_' Kiyo asked. I raised an eyebrow.

"Katsuki's hand!" I widened my eyes as a wave of sudden realization hit me. The others seemed to notice too. Well, if they hadn't, they sure did when Katsuki created an explosion right under All Might that caused a large amount of dust to rise up. Suddenly, a figure flew out of the dust cloud. It was...Midoriya? I narrowed my eyes.

'_He's going for the exit. It might be the only way they can win,_' Kiyo mumbled. I held my breath, anticipating the moment he reached the exit. However, my hopes were dashed when All Might used an attack to blow away the dust and catapult himself towards Midoriya. I bit my lip as I narrowed my eyes. This battle was much more exhilarating than my own and I wasn't even in it! Katsuki ran after the two airborne males. He used an explosion to throw himself into the air. I saw the determination in his eyes and I smiled. Then I noticed what he was about to do and immediately tensed up.

"That idiot..." I said. I saw Ochaco look over at me with a confused look on her face. I sighed as I tried to explain the situation.

"His gauntlets store his sweat so he doesn't have to strain himself. With those gone, he has to use large-scale attacks like any normal person. Just like any normal person, it will take a toll on his body," I narrowed my eyes as Katsuki's fists began to glow that familiar orange glow. Within seconds, a large explosion emitted from his hands.

'_He's temperamental and loud but he's powerful. That attack should have bought them some time_,' Kiyo noted. I couldn't help but feel a ping of sadness when I saw Katsuki curl up in pain as he fell from the sky. He shouted something then aimed another large scale attack at All Might. I cursed under my breath.

"Quit doing that..." I mumbled, noticing the pained look on his face as he pushed his quirk to it's limit. While Midoriya moved towards the exit, Katsuki kept fighting. I winced when I saw All Might grab him and push him into the ground.

"Bastard..." I mumbled. I could see that Katsuki was saying something as All Might held him in place. He bit into the hero's hand but he went unphased.

'_Ha. Seems like something you'd do,_' Kiyo frced a light chuckle. I couldn't help but be reminded of the USJ incident when I bit off a chunk of that villain's arm. Suddenly, There was a green blur that came from the side of the screen. It happened so quickly that nobody could catch it, but when it slowed down, I was able to figure it out. Midoriya, being the only hope the team had at winning, used his quirk to punch All Might in the face and grab Katsuki on his way to the exit. I silently thanked him for it. We all watched as Midoriya carried Katsuki's unconscious body across the threshold. Then, it was announced that they passed. I bit my lip to stop myself from crying, but I couldn't.

"Aw, hell," I said as I let the tears flow. They were tears of joy!

'_I hate to admit it...but that was one show they put on_,' Kiyo sounded...proud. With a sniffle and a grin, I agreed.

**Later...**

I was biting my nails in anticipation as I waited for class to start. A few of my classmates were shouting about whether they passed or not, but, for once, it didn't upset me. I guess it was because I also wondered the same thing.

"How do you think you did, Hotaru?" Asui asked.

"I put everything I had into looking intimidating..." I narrowed my eyes.

"I had to leave it up to Mineta! If I don't pass, I'm dropping out!" I whined as I dropped my head onto the desk.

"I-I'm sure you did great, Anzai," Midoriya suttered. I lifted my head up and sighed.

"It's Hotaru...and you're one to talk! You and Katsuki were awesome! All I did was fall and fracture almost every bone in my body," I frowned. Yes, I was exaggerating but he got the point. Midoriya laughed sheepishly.

"Morning."

Aizawa had walked to the front of the class. I felt my throat dry up as he spoke. Everyone got into their seats and no one said a word. I folded my hands and sat them upon my desk as I waited to know if I passed or not. The anticipation was killing me.

"Unfortunately, there are those of you who did not pass the final exams. Accordingly, for the training camp in the woods..."

'_Here it comes..._' I shut my eyes tight.

"Everyone's going!"

My jaw dropped as the class erupted into happy cheers. My ears hurt but I was joining in. My heart almost stopped beating.

"We can go?!" Ashido asked with tears in her eyes.

"Yeah. Some failed, but no one failed the written exam. In the practical exam, Kirishima, Kaminari, Ashido, Sato, and Sero failed," Aizawa explained. I laid back in my chair, letting out a heavy sigh before instantly turning to Eijirou and the others and apologizing.

'_Congratulations_,' Kiyo said with a proud tone. I smiled, knowing the only reason I passed was because she took over for me at the last minute. I silently thanked her.

"For this exam, we on the villain side made sure to leave a way for the students to win while making sure to see how well you all would take on the task at hand. If we hadn't, most of you would have gotten stuck before we even started," Aizawa's words made me sigh in relief.

"The training camp in the woods is one to increase strength. Those who failed need it most. They have to get stronger. It was a rational falsehood," he smirked. My eye twitched. '_Rational falsehood_' my ass. I sighed.

'_At least you passed. That's all that matters,_' Kiyo said with an annoyed tone. I nodded.

"This training camp should be...an interesting experience..." I mumbled as Aizawa gave Yaoyorozu some leaflets to pass out. I scanned the small book and found it to be filled with information about the camp and what we'd need. I looked at everything and sighed.

"I'm gonna need more money..."

**...**

**Can I just say...3K viewers?! Wow! Thank you! I'm so proud! Haha, I hope you all enjoyed it!**

**Special Thanks To...**

**_AkzMoMo_**

**_iWasDamned_**


	19. But She Can’t

**Chapter 19**

**_Hotaru's P.o.V_**

We had been on the bus for what seemed like forever. When we stopped on the side of a mountain, all the students got out and stretched our legs. It took me a bit longer to get off than everyone else but nevertheless, I escaped the confinement of the metal cage on wheels.

"_Hotaru,"_ Kiyo spoke up. I raised an eyebrow.

"What?" I grumbled. It wouldn't take a genius to notice that the spirit wanted to correct my curt response but apparently, she had more pressing matters to deal with.

"_I don't have a good feeling. I'm unsure of what's causing it so I want you to be cautious around here,_" she warned sternly. I nodded, narrowing my eyes as I stared at the ground.

"Are you okay, Hotaru?" a familiar voice asked. I had not been paying attention up until this point so all conversations before were lost to me.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine," I waved off Ejirou's concern. My redheaded friend raised an eyebrow. I was not, in fact, fine. I had not been able to stop thinking. I would imagine one thing to keep my mind off another, only to end up boring myself or unfortunately back at square one.

"You don't look fine," Ejirou pointed out. I forced a smile while an unseen vein popped in my forehead. To say he's hardheaded is an understatement and a terrible pun I refuse to make.

"I'm fine, Ejirou. See? I was just thinking. Nothing to worry about," I said as kindly as I could. I watched as two heroes stepped out of a car that must have arrived while I was zoned out. They were both females, though one looked a bit younger. They both had cat-themed costumes on; the brunette wearing red and the blonde clad in light blue. The brunette told us her name was Mandalay and the blonde smiled as she introduced herself as Pixie-bob. Together, they're the Wild, Wild Pussycats.

"_That's a stupid name,"_ Kiyo quipped. I agreed but I wasn't going to say anything. Next to the two heroes was a smaller boy who looked like he would rather be anywhere else.

'_Me too, little buddy...Me too_.'

"You will be staying at the foot of that mountain," Mandalay had told us as she pointed off into the far distance. I strained my eyes bust still saw nothing.

"Then why'd we stop here?" Ochaco spoke up and asked what most of us were thinking. I narrowed my eyes.

"_They'll piece it together in a second..." _Kiyo grumbled. I watched as my classmates figured out what we were supposed to do. They panicked and hurried back towards the bus. My eyes widened slightly as I finally understood our objective. A hefty sigh escaped my throat as I accepted the cruel fate bestowed upon me. I watched my classmates run back towards the bus. Their attempts at escape were futile.

"Sorry ladies and gentleman...Training camp has already begun."

Suddenly, Pixie-Bob jumped in the way of class 1-A, put her hands on the ground, and altered the earth beneath us. We were all thrown off the edge of the cliff to the bottom of the cliff. I managed to not hurt myself too badly by using my tail to balance myself on the sliding earth but I still suffered the wrath of some falling rocks. After landing on the ground with a hard thud, I dusted myself off and looked back up at the heroes.

"Since this land's privately owned, feel free to use your quirks as you wish! You have three hours! Come to the facility on your own two feet! After getting through...The Beasts Forest!" Mandalay instructed from on top of the cliff. I sighed, looking to the dense forest.

"Wonderful..." I deadpanned. Mineta, who had been needing the bathroom since we first left the bus, rushed into the thick forest, throwing caution to the wind. I rolled my eyes.

"_He'll be eaten first_," Kiyo grumbled

"Agreed," I narrowed my scarlet eyes as a monstrous roar reached my ears, causing me to cover them. I watched Midoriya swipe the purple pervert away from the giant beast. Within what seemed like a matter of seconds, the beast was destroyed by Todoroki and Iida.

"This ought to be a fun experience..." I mumbled to myself, watching the monster's beaten, clay-like, body reform into multiple duplicates of its former self. I grinned, watching one of the monsters-a mud dragon-fly into the sky. Panicked shouts of confusion erupted from my classmates. I tightened my fists as they sat at my sides

"Guys, I think we're supposed to fight," I felt a smirk creep up onto my face. Eijirou, who had fallen a few feet in front of me, turned and nodded in conformation. I felt something bloodthirsty awaken inside of me. A tingle that I knew all too well.

Kiyo was getting restless.

"Eijirou, give me a boost!" I called. The redhead widened his eyes before hardening the skin on his arms and crouching down. I ran up to him whilst I bit hard into my hand. As soon as both of my feet were planted on his forearms, Eijirou pushed outwards and I went soaring through the air. I was about ten feet up when azure flames burst to life on one of my horns and at the end of my tail. Breathing out a large blue flame, I attacked the monster. Since it was made of a clay-like substance, it hardened from the heat. When I landed back on the ground, my knuckles cracked and I grinned as I took in the sight of it's crumbling body.

"_Let's get down to business_," Kiyo quipped. I nodded.

"You said it."

**Third P.o.V**

All of Class 1-A sat around large tables covered with delicious bowls of Pussycats had made them their meal and everyone loved it. Hotaru sat at a table with the rest of her class while she gulped down bowl upon bowl of stew. She reached her third bowl quicker than anyone else.

"Wow, Hotaru! I didn't know you could eat so fast!" Ashido gasped in awe, noticing how fast Hotaru was eating. Hotaru politely used a napkin to wipe excess food from her mouth before shaking her head.

"I'm not Hotaru. My apologies," she bowed her head slightly. Those few who had picked up the words were drawn to the purple-haired teen. The closer they looked, the more they could see a change in her eyes. Something-or someone-more mature was hidden behind them. Even the way she sat was more dignified than before! Ashido gave her a confused stare for a moment before noticing all these things and grinning.

"You're the one who took over her body during the sports festival!" she exclaimed, practically jumping out of her seat with enthusiasm. More of the students gathered in the room, including Bakugou and Kirishima, turned their heads in their direction. Kiyo was shocked that at least one person even remembered her interference in the festival. A sheepish bead of sweat fell down her face but her stoic expression went unchanged.

"Yes...My name is Kiyo. Nice to meet you..." Kiyo briefly nodded in Ashido's direction. A somewhat familiar blonde approached with his eyebrow raised.

"So, wait...How does that whole switching thing work, exactly?" the boy, who, if she remembered correctly, was named Kaminari, had asked. Kiyo thought for a moment. She never had to actually explain it. Her ability to possess Hotaru was just always something she could do. Her host was aware of it so the question of how or why she could control her was never brought up.

"It is like...a second power source. When Hotaru gets too weak to continue, I take over. A perfect example would be right now," the spirit furrowed her eyebrows gently as she somehow managed to get out her best attempt at an explanation.

"She's sleeping?" Ashido's eye widened. Kiyo let out a short sigh through her nostrils while she nodded.

"Hotaru has never been one to possess much physical strength. She relies mostly on her quirk," she blankly stared at her empty bowl for a moment, silently thinking to herself. "In all honesty, I'm just trying to get used to all of this change."

"What do you mean by change?" Midoriya asked with a slight head tilt. Closed her eyes, she decided it was okay to speak freely amongst the students.

"It's always been just us. Hotaru and I. _We_. There was never really a reason to intentionally switch before she joined this school. With her desperately trying to make up for her weaknesses, our collective power has been reached levels of strength even I didn't know existed..." the whole room fell quiet as jaws hung open and eyes glued themselves to the horned girl. She cracked open her eyes ever so slightly, keeping them focused on her folded hands. "I guess what I am trying to say is...thank you. All of you."

"Why are you thanking us?" Asui asked, confusion clear on her face. Kiyo's breath hitched as she sat still for a few seconds. Her eyes flashed with uncertainty whilst she grew tense.

"Deep down...Hotaru never really liked having me around. Where she's coming from is understandable but neither of us could reject the sealing. It was her legacy as well as mine," knuckles turned white as her fists clenched. Unpleasant images and faces from her painful past flew through her mind like a swarm of angry bees. The onslaught halted when a young Hotaru popped into her mind's eye. Her lonely and sad face kept away from all of the other children...It hurt her.

"When she was younger, Hotaru was so quiet. She never had many friends and now that that's changed, I take it that things can only go up. For the simple fact that you have made her life more pleasant, I thank you all" she stood up from the wooden table just so she could bow to all of Hotaru's classmates. When she straightened herself up and whipped some loose tears from her eyes, many smiling faces beamed at her.

"What are friends for?" Uraraka quipped, bright smile accompanied by a thumbs up. Kiyo gave her a small smile of her own. In that short moment, the veil of seriousness the deceased woman had laid upon the room was lifted. Some of the students broke off into their own conversations while others stayed behind to ask Kiyo more questions.

"So no one ever really asks about you?" Hagakure asked, changing seats so she was closer to the spirit.

"No one knows I'm there," she answered with a nod. Her eyes scanned the room, looking across the prying eyes of the students. Ashido bit her lip, a bit of sadness flashing through her eyes before she grinned.

"What's your favourite food?" she asked. Kiyo paused. The other students looked at her as if patiently awaiting an answer. They really wanted to learn about her? It all felt so...strange. Strange yet good.

"Um...Sashimi?" she creased her eyebrows, showing her confusion.

"What's your favourite colour?" Yaoyorozu chimed in.

"I guess...purple?" Kiyo nervously chuckled as she glanced down at her host's violet hair. Unknowingly, she let a piece glide between her fingers before her hand fell back down into her lap. For the rest of dinner, questions were thrown at the woman and she answered each one with as much respect and honesty as she could. All the socializing made her feel weird and she didn't know what to think. They treated her like a normal person. Like someone _outside_ Hotaru's body. She was, for the first time in a long time, _seen._

**...**

Hotaru, finally back in her own body, sighed as she sunk into the refreshing water of the hot springs. The day's events had her exhausted, even after Kiyo let her rest. She began to space out, losing herself in her thoughts as she sat in the hot water. About an hour or two prior, she had been made aware of Kiyo's conversation with the other students. She was happy for her. Even though it was awkward for Kiyo, it was necessary. For the most part, everyone seemed to like her. That's all that really mattered.

"_It was...pleasant..._" Kiyo sounded unsure. Hotaru smiled, shaking her head as she closed her eyes.

"What are you smiling at?" Ashido nudged the violet-haired teen with her elbow. Hotaru giggled, lightly hitting her back with her shoulder.

"I'm glad all if you accepted Kiyo. She really appreciates it. We both do," she answered in all honesty. All of the girls nodded.

"She was so formal!" Uraraka chimed in. Hotaru laughed sheepishly.

"And very sarcastic," she muttered under her breath. A disapproving huff from Kiyo caused the teen to roll her eyes. "Have none of you heard the legend of Anchin and Kiyo Hime?" she raised an eyebrow. All the girls, except Yaoyorozu, shook their heads.

"I heard it once before when my family and I went to see a play...but it didn't end with Kiyo as a hero..." the raven-haired teen put a finger up to her chin thoughtfully then narrowed her eyes. Hotaru's smile turned bittersweet. All the girls turned to her with either intrigued or confused looks.

"While it's true that the commonly told stories don't paint Kiyo as a protagonist...there _are_ two sides to everything," she explained, topping off her argument with a shrug.

"_We can show them,"_ Kiyo urged, almost pleading with her host to get out her story. She nodded, understanding what she was suggesting. With all attention on her, Hotaru began to retell the legend. This time, however, it was told from Kiyo's point of view. The spirit recalled the memory, using Hotaru as a messenger of sorts. As she tugged on heartstrings with her tales of betrayal, scandal and fits of passion, each girl around her listened intently. Forget Bella and Edward, it was Lady Kiyo and Anchin the Monk. Even a few of the boys listened to what they could hear from their side of the wall. Every now and then, Kiyo would dramatize the story, leaving Hotaru to either roll her eyes or correct her.

Once it came down to the finale of the spirit's legend, Hotaru herself found she could barely relay the message. For a minute or two, she sat in silence, expression dark as she listened to Kiyo. Her desolate tone was unwavering while it fed the girl the image of a man burned to death. Scarlet eyes narrowed, processing the information. She took a few seconds to recollect herself before finishing the story, expelling her bad feeling with a heavy sigh.

"Kiyo tried to cry out to her frightened lover but found that fire replaced her voice. Shocked and afraid, she sobbed. She watched the curse placed upon her take action. Tearfully, the scorned woman witnessed her truly beloved burn inside a cage of karma. Anchin's fidelity was his own undoing," her voice came out softer than she intended but it did the job. It became quiet. At one point, there were a few conversations that could be heard coming from the boys' side of the hot springs, but they died down. It was absolutely silent. Hotaru sighed, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders when someone finally spoke.

"That's so sad!" Ashido cried, clutching Uraraka's arm as an aftermath of the suspenseful and saddening story. The tailed girl nodded.

"It really does sound different from that point of view..." Yaoyorozu mumbled from next to her.

"_It always does..."_ Kiyo sounded more morbid than normal. Hotaru furrowed her eyebrows, causing lines to form on her forehead. She opened her mouth to speak but yawned instead. Sitting still in confusion for a moment, only then did she realize how tired she was. Her mind might not have been sleepy but her body was still very fatigued. The spirit taking over helped her mental state but not her physical one.

"Guess I'm still a little tired..." she laughed sheepishly.

"Get some sleep. The rest of us shouldn't be here for much longer," Uraraka smiled. Her friend nodded as she stood up. Water dripped off her body when she stepped out of the hot springs and made a beeline for her towel.

"Goodnight, Hotaru! Goodnight. Kiyo!" Ashido called, waving and giggling. Hotaru returned her smile but as soon as she turned away, her smile faded. With a sombre look, she put on her nightclothes. Once dressed, she wandered away from the others. She figured a nice walk might help her clear her mind. However, nothing helped the feeling of dread that welled up in her stomach.

**Hotaru's P.o.V**

I sighed as I sat on the roof, the sound of various nocturnal creatures filling my ears. This was one of the few times I was glad I had enhanced hearing. The quiet. Since it was nice out and it was the perfect time to talk, I began to converse with Kiyo.

"Hey, Kiyo? You know that impending doom you felt?" I looked off into the distant, dark sky. The stars twinkled as silence fell over the night.

"_I wouldn't exactly call it that...but...yes. Yes, I do," _she calmly spoke. I bit my lip, fangs digging into my skin.

"Did it...like get stronger?" I anticipated her response but only got silence. It was quiet for at least for a minute. A thin layer of sweat built on my skin.

"_What's this about?_" the spirit asked with a weary tone. I tucked my knees under my arms, narrowing my eyes as I focused on the ground.

I began to ramble, "I wonder what's going on with mom. She seems happy and even went to go visit her sick father back at the temple. She never talks about her family since she abandoned her Shrine Maiden duties, so I take it she doesn't exactly feel comfortable being there. It looked like she was in a good mood before she left. I hope it lasts."

"_That woman has caused you nothing but pain!" _Kiyo snapped, causing me to close my eyes and sigh. She was right but I wouldn't admit it. Panic built in me as my mind wandered to a dark place. I needed to vent and Kiyo was the only one who truly understood me. Knowing that, she let me continue.

"It's not just her I'm worried about. The villains-what if they attack again? What if someone gets hurt? What if it's one of my _friends_?!" I felt tears well up in my eyes at the thought. My hands ran through my violet tresses, stopping near my scalp to tightly grip my head. I had to stop. The thoughts of people being hurt would only make me more nervous. If I told anyone else, they'd probably freak out or think I was crazy...

"Everyone's so excited and happy to be here and I'm just this disorganized mess that needs to get her shit together. I can't even enjoy this training camp because my mind won't quit. If something happens and I do nothing, I-" "For fuck's sake, could you be any more annoying?!"

My teary and wide eyes looked up. I was snapped out of my depressing trance by Katsuki, who stood on the ground below me. I silently stared at him as he clamoured up onto the roof and stood next to me.

"Quit saying all that sad shit because none of it's gonna happen. Nobody's gonna get us. Even if they do, I'll kick their asses and send them straight to hell," the explosive blonde spat. I sniffled, whipping away my fallen tears.

"If the villains attack like last time, it could all be over. W-We're nowhere near UA and the teachers that are here have their limits, too! If the villains really wanted to, they could just tire us out like before," I quipped, hugging my legs closer to my chest. Katsuki clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth and frowned.

"Quit being stupid. We've got all the power," he finally sat down as I shook my head. I was starting to get annoyed.

"We _survived_ because of All Might, but even he was reaching his limits towards the end. If they bring just a few more of those Nomu things...we might not stand a chance," clenching my fists around my arms, I watched my knuckles turn white. It once again became silent for a moment.

"Heroes put up with that shit every day. Get used to it," Katsuki spoke with a tone that I couldn't quite understand. I turned towards him and stared. He was looking off at the dark emptiness before us. I smiled sadly as an airy chuckle escape my lips.

"When did you start letting people confide in you?" I watched Katsuki's eye twitch before he turned to me. I'm not sure why but the sombre look on my face seemed to startle him. "Maybe...everyone was right. I'm not cut out to be a hero. I can't even think like one," I looked forward again. "I'll only get in the way..."

"Just stop," I heard Katsuki say before something pushed onto my back. I tumbled forward, eyes widening as I neared the edge of the roof. I bit my lip and prepared myself for impact. Just before my feet fell out from under me, a hand grabbed my arm. I was still on the ledge, Katsuki's grasp being the only thing holding me up. My wide eyes stared at the ground in shock.

"W-What the hell?!" I hissed, looking back to meet Katsuki's red glare.

"I'm trying to knock some goddamn sense into you!" he snarled. Frowning, I tightened my free fist.

"Well congratulations, you have my attention," I snapped grimly. Katsuki pulled me back with such force that I fell into him. He still had a hand around my wrist as I stood there, so close to him I could practically feel his body heat. He was surprisingly warm...

"You need to quit doubting yourself. You've put up with more crap than I could even imagine to get here, so don't start backing down now," the blonde said. I was at a loss for words when I looked up at him. He looked directly into my eyes. Scarlet orbs met scarlet orbs. "You're strong, Lizard Girl," Katsuki narrowed his eyes. The closeness of our bodies, the fact that we were alone, the atmosphere...A normal person would take advantage of this scenario. _But I'm not normal._

"I...I have to go..." I forced myself away from Katsuki, jumped off the roof, and ran off. I breathed heavily as I ran through the forest, looking for a quiet spot to do whatever I needed to do so that I could just forget and calm down. I needed a diversion. that wasn't cowering behind a tree and hyperventilating.

'_I can't do it...At least not right now..._'

* * *

**AGH! I loved writing this chapter! I almost posted it earlier this week but I wanted to keep my schedule. ****I know it's been kind of a slow burn between Bakugou and Hotaru, but this chapter, as well as the others, will be worth it, I promise! **

**Thanks for reading, Loves!**

**Special thanks to...**

_Mystery derpy_


	20. Something Evil Comes Our Way

Chapter 20

Hotaru's P.o.V

* * *

I narrowed my eyes and cursed under my breath as I lost my balance, fatigue beginning to take over. Digging my feet into the dirt below me, I kept myself from falling. After spending the next few seconds collecting air in my lungs, I clenched my fists. With a guttural growl, a blue fire erupted from my throat and shot up into the sky.

"Keep going. You need to train your mind-" "My mind as well as my body, I know," I spat before sliding one foot against the ground, kicking up a small cloud of dirt. With a huff, I concentrated a stream of fire out of my mouth and onto the ground. My idea was to get it to a tree that was a good three metres away from me but I missed and caused the one next to it to go up in brilliant blue flames. I sighed as the tree turned a different shade of blue. Icy blue.

"Thanks, Todoroki," whipping the sweat from my face, I thanked my classmate. He sat in a tub of water which he had to heat up then cool down as part of his training. More often than I'd like to admit, he tested his abilities by straining them and fixing my mistakes. My guess was that Aizawa told him to. As expected, he paid me no mind. I shook my head before going over to the cooler sitting off to the side of my little training corner. Inside the cooler were various types of blood, neatly packaged and labelled. Part of my training was to find out if different types of blood made my quirk more powerful or not. Then, I was to train my quirk to not need as much blood as it would normally require to use Kiyo's power. In all reality, the blood part of my quirk seemed to just be a side effect of sorts.

While blood loss was an issue, I was lucky I didn't have to deal with heat like some of my classmates. How do I deal with that, you ask? Well, because my quirk gives me the abilities of the spirit inhabiting my body and mind, I became cold-blooded the day that Kiyo was sealed within me. The tail, horns and fire manipulation were added bonuses. Now, don't get me wrong, I still get hot. Unfortunately, this ability only seems to help out with Kiyo's fire. And yes, I still get fevers when sick. Sadly.

As I sucked out the blood from the packet like a juice box, I took off my tracksuit's jacket, leaving me with the black tank top. I sighed, reading over the label of the blood packet. The rarer blood types tasted better, but I didn't think they had any effect. Apparently, Mister Aizawa had gotten them from a blood donation office. Apparently, people give more than the place actually needs, so all the extras have gone to me. It's a nice gesture, I guess. After sitting down the now empty packet, I wiped any excess blood away from my mouth. With closed eyes, I sighed through my nostrils.

"It was a good theory. At least you have munitions and can carry on," Kiyo sounded even more like a drill sergeant than she did when this training started. I groaned, exaggerating my exhaustion so she would hopefully let me rest for a moment. For some odd reason, my eyes travelled up to the sky like they had a mind of their own. My ears joined the search, twitching when they heard a loud boom coming from not that far off. My eyes scanned their surroundings for the source, focusing on a nearby falling tree.

It was Katsuki.

I had been avoiding him all day. The good news is, I think he was, too. I'm better at avoiding my problems so this level of interaction should have been fine with me but...Well, I guess I miss having someone other than Kiyo to talk to.

I shook my head, clearing my thoughts before shooting out a fiery breath attack twice as large as before. It was a good way to relieve my pent up emotions. Those, of course, were still a mystery to me but I didn't intend on figuring out my feelings on some spiritual journey any time soon.

While managing to build up a bit of a run, I put everything I had into propelling myself upwards. I focused my fire on my feet and leapt into the air. I was able to see a lot of the forest as time seemed to slow down. A transitory state of suspended animation.

Admittedly, I had gone up higher than I intended with my emotional blast of fire but it helped me see how hard everyone was working. I smiled. A few of my classmates look up at me. One specifically, Katsuki. He stared at me and I stared back for a moment. Although we were so far away, physically, emotionally and mentally, we still locked eyes. I'm trying to avoid him, dammit! A heat grew in my red-tinted cheeks and I groaned. Forcing myself to come back down to Earth, I lightly slapped myself in the face. Now wasn't the time for that.

"Hotaru..."

"What is it now, Kyo?!"

"You're still in the air..."

I looked down, realizing I was, in fact, falling rather quickly. I panicked, shooting a large blast of fire at the ground and shutting my eyes tight. By the time I got down, the grass around my landing area was scorched and some trees were burned. I breathed heavily as I looked over and saw another class walk by just in time to witness me fall flat on my ass. I let out an angry growl before messing up my already frizzy hair and throwing myself onto my back

"Even the small ones are freaky..." one of the kids muttered. I laughed nervously as I waved to them.

"Get back on track. We're not going to waste time," Kiyo spat. I groaned but got back to work. I had to be better, after all. Better than her. Better than what she said I would be. With that thought in mind, I jumped up onto my feet and headed to get another blood pack.

A Couple Of Days Later...

The entirety of the class was prepping their own food, each playing a different role to ensure that we were able to eat whatever mess came out. When Mandalay and Ragdoll-one of the Wild, Wild Pussycats that we had met over the span of the past few days-explained this to our energy-deficient class, we really weren't all that excited. I'm pretty sure Mineta passed out and I almost felt like doing the same.

By some miracle, the food managed to come out edible. It was probably the most rewarding part of the day. Strangely, Kiyo didn't seem to be paying close enough attention to my cooking skills. Actually, what I mean is she didn't point out my lack thereof. I lit the make-shift stove fires. I was, in fact, a glorified matchstick and not even a peep came from Kiyo. It worried me but, for some reason, I still went on with my day.

"I am starving," I grumbled, burying my face in my hands and unconsciously getting the attention of the two kids next to me. Midoriya chuckled nervously to my left.

"I'm sure it'll be done any minute," he chimed. I sighed as a drop of sweat fell from my brow. Mina, who sat on the right side of me, nudged me gently.

"Are you okay?" her smile showed that she was concerned. I guess I wasn't exactly trying to hide the confusion happening in my brain but still...I thought no one would notice.

"I'm fine," I replied with a forced smile. Midoriya's eyes lingered on me for a minute, causing a nervous sweat to build on my forehead. I sighed, looking back to where the food was being prepared. Katsuki just so happened to be within my line of sight. Why the hell do I keep finding myself looking at him? If the universe could politely fuck off, it would be much obliged.

Unknowingly, I stared at the blonde as he continued cutting carrots. He could handle the knife surprisingly well. I sighed, propping my chin upon my palm. I had to talk to him sooner or later. Leaving things off on such an awkward note wasn't going to go well for my psyche. So, after mustering up the courage, I got up and walked towards Katsuki.

"Hey, Hotaru," Eijirou smiled as I approached. Half-heartedly, I waved.

"Hey, Eijirou," I replied. I took a deep breath when I noticed Katsuki had yet to look up at me. If anything, he looked more upset. My eyes lingered on him for a minute. Eijirou must have noticed that something was up because he excused himself from the situation fairly quickly. I narrowed my eyes gently.

"Katsuki...Can I talk to you for a minute?" I finally spoke up. The explosive blonde stopped chopping the food and looked up. He paused, eyebrows furrowing. After passing the minced carrots to Iida, he nodded. I wasn't looking forward to this but it had to be done. Katsuki put down his knife and we began to walk to a part of the forest where people could see but not hear.

"So why did you drag me out here?" he grumbled once we were far enough from the group.

"Because we need to talk," I let out an exasperated sigh. He crossed his arms and furrowed his eyebrows. His silence scared me as I held my breath.

"I shouldn't have left things off as I did...and I wasn't really myself last night. There's a lot that's been on my mind and just being able to vent, it's helped..." I paused, noticing how bored he already looked with the conversation. My eyes suddenly found an interest in the ground. "So...I guess what I'm trying to say is..." I began to sweat.

"What I'm trying to say is...thank you."

"What?" Katsuki raised an eyebrow.

"Thank you for helping me snap out of whatever rut I got myself into," a sheepish sweat fell down my forehead. Katsuki paused. The look he gave me was less of a scowl and more of an...analysis. He clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" he grumbled.

I pouted, "And you're a jerk." For some reason, Katsuki put a hand on my head. I widened my eyes a bit and my jaw dropped ever so slightly. What the hell was happening?

"Don't start thinking about that stupid shit. It'll only make you feel worse," Katsuki furrowed his eyebrows. I hesitated before letting a small smile make its way onto my face.

"I don't want anyone else to feel like I did. I've always wanted to help others. I just needed to be reminded why I wanted to be a hero in the first place," I nodded. Katsuki smirked with what looked like, dare I say, a hint of pride. I sighed and shook my head.

"Now, let's quit saying all this mushy crap or else I'll start getting emotional," I chuckled, grabbing Katsuki's arm and taking it off my head. For a moment, I was able to forget about what was troubling me. It was nice, to say the least...

That Night...

It was later into the evening when the class-minus a few kids who were forced to take remedial courses-was told we would be partaking in a "test of courage".

Me, being the terrified crybaby that I am and knowing that I would be reduced to tears within seconds, decided to punish myself with participation. I braced myself for hell as the Wild, Wild Pussycats explained the concept.

"Okay, so Class B will be the first to be the scarers. Class A will leave in pairs every three minutes. There are tags with your names written on them in the middle of your route, so bring those back with you," Pixie-Bob said. She and her team were going to be monitoring us.

Tiger (another hero previously introduced us), Pixie-Bob, and Mandalay would stay in the forest clearing with us while Ragdoll had students check in with her at the half-way mark.

"You, my darling, are going to have a wonderful time," Kiyo was relentless as always. I rolled my eyes and scoffed.

"Your insatiable sarcasm rears its ugly head once again," I mumbled, sweat falling off my brow awkwardly.

As lots were pulled and teams were formed, I found myself to be partners with Midoriya. For a fraction of a second, I could see the slight hesitation in his eyes when he heard I would be his teammate for the test of courage. I don't blame him.

I sighed before sitting down and watching team after team walk into the forest to face their fate. About fifteen minutes in, most of the teams had already been sent off. I was half-listening to the chatter of those around me as I looked up at the sky. I couldn't help but smirk at the thought of Katsuki being scared by another student.

"I would pay to see that," Kiyo sounded very smug. I smiled as I heard more terrified shrieks. The sounds and smells of the forest filled my senses. It was a pleasant experience. I had never been camping but I always liked the outdoors. Lots of distractions...

"Other than the screams, it's a really peaceful and quiet night," I slid my hands behind my head and laid back onto the grass. Midoriya, who stood next to me, laughed sheepishly.

"Y-You think so?" he asked. I nodded, lips twisting into a small smile.

"This is one of those times I wish my range of hearing was greater. I bet Katsuki's gotten scared by now," I giggled. Midoriya almost turned a ghostly white.

"Really?" his voice cracked. I looked at him from the corner of my eyes.

"Chill out, Midori," I smirked. Midoriya's eyes widened a bit at the nickname. I stood up and dusted myself off, ready to venture deeper into the woods. I stretched, popping some of my joints.

"W-What?!"

I snapped my head towards the right and widened my eyes as Pixie-Bob levitated off the ground. She was surrounded by a pink aura which pulled her towards the darkness. A sickening crunch caused me to wince. Pixie-Bob's head had hit something hard, breaking her headset and putting a large gash on her head. My worry was soon replaced with grief and extreme panic as two unfamiliar people walked out of the forest. I clenched my shaking fist.

"Kiyo...are they...?" I knew I had no need to finish my sentence. I took the spirit's silence as a yes and grit my teeth. I knew what was to come...

And I was horrified that I couldn't stop it.

* * *

Ooooooh! Are you feeling it now Mr. Krabs?!

Hehe. You guys are truly amazing and I want to thank you for your support throughout this story. I'm so glad you all have decided to read it! I promise that something big is coming up. Just trust me.

Thanks, Loves!

Special Thanks To...

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REVIEWS;

rsaenz18- I'm glad you like it and took the time to review! As always, I want to say thank you. I've been trying to keep on schedule but it's been a little hard, with school whatnot. I'm happy people are enjoying the story. :)


	21. Regrets and Reservations

**Chapter 21**

**Hotaru's P.o.V **

* * *

Mandalay had sent a group of students to warn Aizawa and the remedial kids about the situation. I was supposed to be one of them. However, I couldn't stop worrying about my friends so went off to look for as many of my friends as I could find.

My mind was running at a hundred miles a minute. All of my brain power was spent worrying about my classmates. A lot of them were out in the forest...Including Katsuki. I used my enhanced hearing to listen for any of my fellow UA students or pro heroes.

"Kiyo, do you think that if we told someone, we might have been able to prevent this?" I asked, ridden with guilt. Kiyo was silent for a moment.

"It was against my better judgement to warn you, Hotaru. I figured you would be a worrying mess instead of enjoying your training camp. I was right...but no. I don't think anything could have prepared us for this," she muttered quietly. My eyes drifted off to the smoke that clouded the distant sky. I felt a little better but I still didn't stop running full speed through the forest. I had to run into someone eventually.

"Everyone in Class A and B! In the name of Pro Hero, EraserHead, you are granted permission to engage in combat!"

"If I'm not mistaken that was the brunette's power of telepathic communication," Kiyo quipped. I mentally thanked Mandalay for the message before using bursts of blue flame to propel myself forward. I didn't care if I fell or if a villain came and attacked me. I was going to save someone if it cost me my life. To make up for not warning anyone about my superstition. To make up for all of those who were about to be hurt...

That's what being a hero is all about, right? I thought grimly. I bit into my hand and drew out some blood before listening to Mandalay make another announcement.

"We have discovered one of the villains' targets. It's one of the students!" she started. My ears perked up and my attention was undividedly on her voice, hanging onto her words. I picked up my pace, sweat forming on my brow.

"Someone named 'Kacchan?'"

\- Third P.o.V -

Hotaru's legs went numb. She stopped running while her eyes widened in horror. As she clenched her fists at her sides, she began to tremble. If she didn't know any better, she'd think that her heart and head were about to explode.

"Katsuki...?" she mumbled absentmindedly. Stopping wasn't an option. Bakugou was strong. He could fend for himself, right? The violet-haired girl took a shaky breath before starting to run again.

Now, with determination and fear coursing through her veins, she used bigger bursts of blue flame to leap across the treetops. She was heading towards Katsuki, his scent not too far from her. At this point, it was more of an urge than a feeling. She needed to get to him before God-knows-what happens.

"Calm down and think rationally. The loud blonde can handle himself. You must be cautious and remain diligent or else an enemy might be able to jump you from behind," Kiyo instructed sharply. Her demands fell upon deaf ears, however. Hotaru kept bounding in the same direction, Katsuki's scent getting closer. She thanked the fact that Kiyo was turned into a snake and not something with less valuable sensing abilities.

With one more propulsion blast, she got close enough to hear the blonde's voice. Slowing down, she crouched on the branch of a tree and narrowed her eyes. She watched Bakugou and Todoroki fight a villain with some sort of blade-related quirk. Kiyo knew her words wouldn't waiver Hotaru's decision to help her classmates but she knew she could try her best to keep her safe along the way.

"If you want to help so bad, you can do so from here. Wait until they need you," Kiyo suggested. Hotaru furrowed her eyebrows. She knew the spirit woman was right. They didn't need another thing to worry about.

"Just be quiet and stay put...got it," she sighed. Kiyo went silent, unsure of what else she could say in this situation. She was at a loss. Wanting to help her host and actually helping her were two different things. She wasn't strong enough to force a consciousness swap nor did she think Hotaru would always take her advice. Even now, the girl grows restless. Maybe it would be best if she just stayed out of it-

"K-Kiyo..."

She had no time to voice her opinion as a sharp object ran through her host's arm. Hotaru's hands shook as she stared down at the wound. The long blade, which seemed to be thrown askew by the blade-toothed villain in a straightjacket, twisted while inside her arm. It felt like a hot punch and even pinned Hotaru to the tree in which she was sitting. Despite this, the tailed girl just stared at the wound.

The adrenaline made her numb to the pain and she intended to keep it that way for as long as possible. She tried to use some of the blood from the wound to give her power but found it very hard to move.

"Son of a bitch..." she snapped as she tried to look for where the blade was coming from. She followed it with her eyes and found it was coming from the villain Todoroki and Bakugou were fighting, as expected.

He was bound in a black straight jacket and a device that pulled back his lips and allowed him to bare his teeth which then grew into blades. One of the blades had pinned the young girl and only made her more pissed off.

"This...sucks," she struggled to keep her voice down.

"Hotaru, maybe-" "Don't start with me," Hotaru spat, glaring at the wound with a look that was meant for Kiyo. The spirit went quiet at the outburst. "Maybe if I had been down there fighting, this wouldn't have happened!"

There were screams, rumbles, and even a gunshot, but none of it compared to the loud silence the two shared. Hotaru knew she shouldn't have snapped but wasn't going to apologize. Her and Kiyo both knew she was right but the truth hurt.

The pain of her stab wound was starting to settle in as the adrenaline wore off. At the moment, a stupid decision was not what she needed to make. As she tried to think of a way out, a series of crashes and thumps were heard. It sounded like a stampede. She raised an eyebrow, quickly finding the source.

"Bakugou, Todoroki, one of you, please, make some light!"

"Shoji...?" Hotaru mumbled as she watched Shoji, her octo-armed classmate, run into view. Trailing behind him was a giant version of Tokoyami's quirk, Dark Shadow. She had overheard a conversation where Tokoyami said the dark was a source of power for Dark Shadow but made it hard to control.

"Shit."

Suddenly, Dark Shadow grabbed the bladed-tooth villain. In the process, the blade holding Hotaru detached itself from him. The sudden movement caused her to scream, but she muffled it by bringing her free hand over her mouth. She was still pinned to the tree, but the blade could no longer be retracted by the villain. It would have to be removed manually. Through her teary eyes, Hotaru witnessed the defeat of the villain and, thanks to Bakugou and Todoroki's light, the containment of Dark Shadow.

"I'm a bad match for you," Bakugou hissed. Hotaru sighed, relieved the immediate danger was gone. Now, about the sharp piece of metal sticking out of her shoulder...

The best action to take would be to leave it in to stop the bleeding but it didn't seem like an option considering the state she was in. She could switch with Kiyo but it would be useless. Maybe it would be easier to just wait for someone to find her. They'd have to do a sweep of the forest eventually, right...?

"Wait. Look over there."

...Or she could just wait for Todoroki to point it out.

"Is that...metal?" Shoji muttered. Hotaru suddenly froze as realization sat in. She didn't want her friends to see her in this weak and vulnerable state.

"The villain threw one of his blades into the forest during our fight. He never removed it," Todoroki noted. Hotaru mentally reprimanded herself for not freeing her arm sooner. The purple-haired teen sighed. She put her free hand on the blade, took a deep breath and counted down.

"Okay...Go, on one...two...now!" she mumbled before pulling the blade out. A howl of pain escaped her lips and she was unable to hold herself upright, thus causing her to fall out of the tree and hit the ground.

"That sounds like..." Midoriya's voice trailed off.

"Lizard Girl!" Bakugou was the first to move. He ran towards the direction of the scream, throwing caution to the wind. When he got to the source, he found Hotaru curled up into a ball, clenching her bleeding arm.

"Oh, shit! That hurts like hell!" she cried. He furrowed his eyebrows and clenched his fists, wanting to hurt whoever did this to the small girl. However, the blade lying next to her told him Dark Shadow had taken care of that.

"Anzai!" Midoriya called when he and the others approached her.

"I'm fine..." she mumbled, face turning ghostly pale as blood practically poured from her shoulder. She was bleeding out. Fast.

"Like hell you are! That's a lot of fucking blood!" Bakugou shouted.

"Shut up...Y-You're not making it...any better" Hotaru spat through her clenched teeth as she used the blonde for support.

"So the villain stabbed you while we were fighting?" Todoroki got straight to the point. Hotaru nodded, sweat rolling down her forehead.

"Y-Yeah..." her legs began to wobble with uncertainty. If she kept standing here talking, she'd surely bleed out. Even a consciousness swap wouldn't get her back to a fighting state.

"Why don't you just let Kiyo take over?" Midoriya asked, receiving an uncertain look in response. Hotaru opened her mouth to speak but found that a sudden wave of exhaustion washed over her. She closed her eyes as she felt herself slip away. Her knees hit the ground first, the rest of her body following with a thud.

"Lizard Girl, don't you dare," Bakugou spat. Knowing that the others were here made her accept the fact that if she was knocked out, she'd be in good hands.

"I-I'm not dying, idiot...Just t-tired..." she forced a curt chuckle. Bakugou furrowed his eyebrows. How was she laughing at a time like this? Her eyelids grew heavy, drawing her closer to unconsciousness. This time, she gave in.

"We should get going," Todoroki suggested, interrupting the moment. The group nodded.

"But what about-" Midoriya's question was cut off by Bakugou scooping up Hotaru into his arms. The only reaction from the girl was the pained groan she made when she was moved.

"Let's go. We have ass to kick," Bakugou huffed. He looked normal, like the angry blonde he always was. The only difference was the cause of his anger. Why the hell hadn't he seen her sooner? He narrowed his eyes as he held her limp body tighter. She had been caught up in his fight and got hurt. God as his witness, he'd keep her from any more harm.

* * *

** Reminder; you are all lovely people and deserve the best. You truly are amazing!**

**Special Thanks To...**

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_dreamsmadereality_


	22. The Awakening

**Chapter 25**

**Third P.o.V**

Bakugou and Tokoyami ran behind the others, the former carrying Hotaru's unconscious body. Bakugou had been uncharacteristically silent for a while, now. This raised some questions.

"Are you worried?" Tokoyami asked. Bakugou shot him a look.

"Why the hell would I be worried about her?" he spat. Tokoyami's eyes shifted to the girl in the blonde's arms. He noticed how tightly Bakugou was holding Hotaru, as well as how close he had her.

"I never mentioned Anzai," he said. Bakugou furrowed his eyebrows and turned away from his classmate.

"You implied it, damn it!" he snarled. Tokoyami was very aware of what he had done. As they continued running, Bakugou found himself to be mad for many reasons. He was upset that someone interrupted his training, Midoriya was trying to shelter him, and he was being told not to fight when he thought it was necessary.

The most significant reason for his anger, however, was the fact that someone had hurt Hotaru. Bakugou wished Tokoyami had stayed out of it just so he could have beaten the villain to a bloody pulp himself. No one would hurt his friends and get away with it. He looked down at the sleeping girl in his grasp and sighed. She looked so peaceful...

The thoughts of the blonde were abruptly put on hold when someone came out of the shadows. He had on an orange-ish colored coat, a cane, and a mask. At least, that's all Bakugou and Tokoyami saw before being compacted into tiny marbles; an apparent effect of the mystery man's quirk.

Bakugou was going to throw Hotaru to the others or onto the ground so she wouldn't get caught, but went against it when he reminded himself that she was bleeding out. Instead, he held her tighter to his chest as he was marbelized. He wanted-no_-needed_ to protect her.

**Later...**

Hotaru slowly came to as she felt the cool night air flow around her. There was only one source of warmth which she seemed to be necessarily close to. She buried her face in it, nuzzling whatever the warm object was.

"Cute," an unfamiliar voice said. Confusion set in and Hotaru wearily opened her eyes. She widened her eyes when she realized she was suspended in the air, something-or someone-holding her up.

Fear and dread set in when she noticed the group of villains that surround her and a few of her classmates. Bakugou, now sweating from the adrenaline and shock that was pumping through his bloodstream, looked down at her.

Panic rose within him when he noticed the, now awake, girl in his arms. He looked towards Todoroki, who was closest to him. A lightbulb went off in his brain.

Before he could do anything, the hand wrapped around his neck squeezed slightly. It was a reminder that an escape attempt was futile.

With his eyebrows furrowed and attention was drawn back to protecting the young girl in his arms, Bakugou's eyes focused on Todoroki.

"Catch her, Damn it!" he shouted as he threw Hotaru. Todoroki narrowed his eyes, speeding up as much as he could. He was only about two feet away from her when a warp gate appeared. The same kind made by the warp gate villain from the USJ attack...

Through the portal came the same villain who marbelized Tokoyami, Anzai, and Bakugou. His mask was gone, but his face was still partially covered. His smile was still visible as he grabbed the now fully-alert, purple-haired, girl.

"Whoops. You were on the list, too," the marbleizing villain said.

'_Shit!'_ Hotaru thought as she tried to squirm out of his grasp. She clenched her jaw as she watched Todoroki pivot on his foot to face her and the villain.

"Sorry about this but due to the intenseness of our situation, this is the only way to get what we want," the cloaked man said to Hotaru. Due to her fatigue, she was unable to escape his grasp.

She saw a villain with a patchwork face dragging Bakugou into a warp gate and widened her eyes. In that moment, she began to understand there was no hope for them. She was going to go with the villains and no one could save her. Her and Bakugou's fate was sealed the moment they arrived.

"Kacchan!" Midoriya shouted as he ran towards Bakugou.

"Deku...don't follow me," the blonde demanded before disappearing into the portal made by the warp gate villain.

Midoriya, overcome with grief and despair, fell to the floor. Hotaru clenched her jaw and fists while the villain that held her inched her closer to the warp gate.

"Do what he said, Midori!" the teen shouted to get the green-haired boy's attention. He looked up at her with wide, teary, eyes.

"Everything will be fine," Hotaru said with a forced smile before everything before her disappeared. Her smile faded as, through the corner of her eyes, she looked at the villain that held her.

"You're going to pay for this," she spat with a look of hatred aimed towards the man. He chuckled.

"You and Bakugou will both be thanking us for the opportunity when this is all over with. Trust me, Anzai," he said. Hotaru narrowed her eyes. The only thing on her mind was Bakugou's safety.

**...**

**Hotaru's P.o.V**

The villains had brought me and Katsuki to their hideout. We were both tied up, but with Katsuki they seemed to take more precautions. My narrowed eyes studied each villain.

Standing before us were the warp gate villain and Shigaraki, both of which I had seen at the USJ, but there were some new faces, too. I had managed to pick up most of their names; Mange, Spinner, and Twice.

One of the villains I had yet to know the name of, a girl with blonde hair tied into two buns on both sides of her head and bangs framing her face, looked towards me.

"You're so cute, Hotaru!" she said with a giggle. I could only guess that Shigaraki informed the rest of them of our names.

"Toga, back away," the warp gate villain said. I furrowed my eyebrows as the blonde pouted.

"Aw, come on, Kurogiri!" she whined.

'_So warp gate's name is Kurogiri...'_

"I'm Toga, by the way! Toga Himiko!" the blonde said with a toothy and fanged grin. I answered her with silence. She stepped towards me. I noticed Bakugou's scowl deepen.

"You know..." Toga leaned down and whispered into my ear. I saw her grab something hidden behind her back, then felt a cold object touch my cheek. I widened my eyes slightly.

"You'd be even cuter if we added a little blood," she said. I inhaled sharply as Toga made a long cut across my cheek. She then grabbed my face, making me look towards Katsuki.

"Now, doesn't she look better?" Toga giggled. Katsuki furrowed his eyebrows.

"Don't fucking touch her," he spat, venom laced in his words.

"That's enough, Toga," Shigaraki said. I watched Toga use the knife to take the blood off my face then strolled back over to her original place beside the other villains.

Another villain, named Twice, turned on the television. Everyone looked up to it, the villains seating themselves at the bar, off to the side of the room. I narrowed my eyes as I listened in on what the reporters were saying.

"The latest villain attacks on the infamous UA High have really has changed how people see the current generation of Hero's. There is more panic in the hearts of the people than there has ever possibly been," one of the news anchors said. My eyes widened.

With just that simple bit of information, I could already guess what the villains were trying to do. It frightened me how close they were to achieving their goal.

"With this so-called '_League of Villains' _being able to launch a large-scale attack more than once, we must conclude that there is some sort of problem with the management at UA High. Even if my child wanted to become a hero, I could not possibly-" Shigaraki shut off the television. I clenched my jaw as he cackled.

"I'm really grateful for all the publicity we've been getting. Hey, don't you agree?" Shigaraki looked towards Katsuki and I.

"You're trying to ruin the rep of the entire heroic society?" I asked. Shigaraki paused.

"You're a smart one," he said before looking to the marbelizing villain.

"Compress, marble her. I need to have a private chat with Bakugou," he nodded. The other villain turned to face me. I frowned.

"Don't touch me," I said. The villain, apparently called Compress, approached me. When he reached his hand down to marbelize me, I bit him. I must have startled him because he stumbled back a few steps. I used his blood to use a blast of blue fire to burn my restraints.

"You idiot!" Twice yelled in what I think was his alter ego's voice. I bared my sharp canine teeth as I glared at the villains who went on the offensive.

"What the hell are you doing just standing around?! Go, Lizard Girl!" Katsuki shouted. I shot him a look.

"Not without you, dumb ass!" I said. Toga charged at me but I side-stepped and dodged.

"_So_ not cute, Hotaru!" the blonde whined. I growled.

"Don't call me that!" I spat as I shot another blue-flamed attack at her out of pure spite. She dodged it, of course.

"We don't have go do this the hard way," Shigaraki said, clearly getting agitated.

"I'd prefer the hard way," I sneered. Ignoring the pain from my stab wound, I created a ring of blue fire around Katsuki and I, for safety.

"I'm not leaving you," I said as I began to sweat from the adrenaline rushing through my veins. I got to work on freeing my classmate from his restraints. I was filled with relief when they finally came loose and Katsuki stood up.

"Thanks," he said, looking to the League of Villains with a sinister grin. I nodded. Katsuki set off an explosion, smoke rising up around us. We used the diversion to head for the door.

"You clearly didn't think this through," I heard a male's voice say from behind me. Suddenly, I was yanked back by my hair. I yelped as I came face to face with the patchwork-faced villain.

"Get her, Dabi!" Twice cheered.

"Shut up," the man known as Dabi said cooly. I narrowed my eyes, clawing at him with all the strength in my body.

"Drop her," Katsuki hissed, small explosions going off in his palm. Dabi snickered he shook me around a bit, taunting Katsuki. I winced from the pain.

"You really want to attack me? You might miss," he said slyly. I could sense Katsuki's internal discord as he wearily lowered his hands. I felt tears form in my eyes.

"No..." I mumbled. We were so close! I saw Toga approach Katsuki from behind, slowly getting closer.

"Katsuki, be-" "Come on, now. Let her have her fun," Dabi said into my ear as he pulled my hair, holding me up higher. I winced as I saw Katsuki get tackled by Toga. She giggled as she sat on top of him.

"You two would be a cute couple!" she said with a fanged smile. I squirmed in Dabi's grasp, tears forming. We were so close to escaping!

"That's enough!"

Something purple popped up behind me and I suddenly hit the floor. Before I could see what had happened, Katsuki grabbed me and pulled me to my feet, standing in front of me protectively.

"We can do this peacefully," Kurogiri said.

"What part of this whole thing seems _peaceful_ to you?" I asked sarcastically.

"You two are just pawns. You'll be part of a much bigger picture," Shigaraki said. I narrowed my eyes.

"What the hell is that?!" Katsuki shouted.

"You'll see..." Shigaraki seemed to smile underneath the hand covering his face.

"For now, though, it's probably best to separate you two," he hopped off his stool, removing himself from the bar. He looked to Kurogiri, who nodded.

"Right," he said. A warp gate opened behind me. I tried to move out of its way but I was too slow. All I saw was Katsuki reaching for me before I was thrown into a room. I hit the ground and swallowed the lump in my throat.

'_Where the hell am I, now?' _

"Hello...Anzai Hotaru."

I slowly looked behind me. Standing there was a villain of the likes I had never seen before. For an unknown reason, I began to shiver, a cold chill crawling down my spine.

I was shaking. Why was I shaking? I was overcome with a sudden sense of fear and dread. I felt a great deal of despair as the figure walked closer.

"Anzai Hotaru...We need to have a chat."

_ **-_-**_

**This chapter has given me such anxiety. I was worried that it didn't flow right, Bakugou seemed like an OC so I had to change some things, it was just a hectic few days of writing. I'm glad I got it out on schedule, though!**

**Special Thanks To...**

**_animefairy299_**

**_Itsjustjas_**


	23. Worries Of a Broken Doll

**Chapter 26**

**Third P.o.V**

Trapped inside the Villain League's hideout, Bakugou Katsuki was chained up. He was wrapped in layers upon layers of chains and rope. The villains understood the risk that came with even looking at him. The blonde looked at each villain with a scowl.

"It was necessary," Shigaraki said. Bakugou deepened his frown.

"Where the hell is she?!" he shouted, his forehead glistened with sweat. It went silent. No one was telling him anything and it ticked him off. All he wanted was to get his friend back, kick some villain ass, and go home. Bakugou was mostly worried about the former of three.

Where had they taken Hotaru? Was she safe? Who was with her? Bakugou swore in his mind. He promised himself that if he found her and she was hurt, he'd kill all the villains himself. He'd burn them all to a crisp if she had so much as a scratch on her. He knew, however, that in order for him to do this, he'd need to find her first. He would get nowhere with the villains, though.

"She's with my master," Shigaraki said. Bakugou narrowed his eyes.

"And where is he?" he spat. Shigaraki paused, seeming to study Bakugou. When he didn't answer, Bakugou only grew angrier. He bared his teeth.

"At least tell me if she's okay, damn it!" he roared. Shigaraki cackled.

"I can't say. Although, with what my master has planned for her..." he chuckled mid-sentence, "I wouldn't count on it."

Bakugou lost it. He growled and began thrashing about in his restraints, which only seemed to tighten. He tired himself out rather quickly. When he ran out of energy, he simply sat there, breathing heavily and snarling.

"I'll fucking all kill you," he snapped. The villains seemed to enjoy his little tantrum. They were giving him more and more reasons to dislike them...So why did they still intend on recruiting him?

**...**

Hotaru was trembling in the corner of the room. She had no idea why she was suddenly so scared. There was a barred window a few feet above her. Based on the moonlight shining through, she could tell it was night.

Hotaru was more worried about the large, towering, figure on the opposite side of the room, though. She felt her throat go dry as she tried to speak.

"Wh-Who are you?" she asked, voice cracking. The large figure didn't move.

"I am the one who is going to give you an offer you won't want to refuse," it was a male. It stepped out of the shadow's and into the moonlight, giving Hotaru the chance to see its features more clearly.

The figure was a man with a tall build. He wore a dark suit with a white undershirt and a mask that had covered his face, as well as the rest of his head.

"I am the villain known as All For One," the villain said. Hotaru widened her eyes. She had heard of him. He was said to be one of the few who could last in a fight against All Might. He was powerful; the top of the food chain. What would a villain like _that_ want with her?

"What do you want?" Hotaru spat. All For One chuckled.

"I have an offer," he said. At his pause, Hotaru narrowed her eyes.

"Why would I make a deal with someone like you?" she spat. The man before her reached out his hand to her.

"If you join my side, you will be rewarded with everything you desire."

"What I _desire_ is to get to Katsuki and go home!" Hotaru shouted. She tried to smack All For One's hand away but he grabbed her wrist. Her eyes widened. It was dreadfully silent for a moment. All For One seemed to study the girl's shaking figure.

"Kiyo Hime."

Hotaru's fast breathing stopped, "What?"

"The spirit of Kiyo Hime is locked within you," All For One said. Hotaru clenched her jaw and fists. She grits her teeth together and furrows her eyebrows as she realized he knew more than he had let on.

"What of it?" she spat.

"You have access to her murderous and demonic blue flames. Kiyo hime was never the hero of the story. If you followed the example she laid so many years ago, you would be a powerful villain," All For One said.

Hotaru hesitated. She managed to calm her muscles and stop shaking. The idea of becoming a villain sounded crazy! But at the same time...It didn't...

She thought about it and hated herself for even doing so. She _did_ have the powers of an ancient, legendary, villain. She didn't seem to be a very good hero; always doubting herself and getting in the way. She had no family other than her mother, so no one would care...

'_My friends would care...Katsuki, Eijirou, Ochaco, Midori..._' Hotaru fought her thoughts. Class 1-A should be where she belongs, right? If so, why did she even think of accepting All For One's offer? She shut her eyes tight as if it would help block out everything around her.

"I'll give you some time to think," All For One said before disappearing back into the shadows and exiting through a door on the other side of the room. Hotaru finally let go. She felt hot tears roll down her face.

With a simple question, All For One had managed to break the walls she had set up around her mind and heart. It was like she was her old self, again. Insecure, scared, _weak_...She questioned everything she had worked for. Was it even worth it if she just up and threw it all away?

'_Now's not the time for a tantrum, Kiyo,'_ Hotaru thought. She had not spoken with the spirit since she was first taken. It frightened her that she had yet to show herself. She was never gone for this long...

Everything was freaking her out and she hated it. Being so vulnerable again...It was too much. Hotaru pulled her knees close to her chest and let her tears fall. It should have been an easy no...but it wasn't. She was exhausted. She was out of escape ideas and was forced to face her helplessness. There was no hope for escape.

It was agonizing to think about.

**Later...**

Hotaru was curled up into a ball. She was just about broken and most definitely demoralized. Kiyo hadn't shown, Bakugou was God-knows-where with the other villains, and none of her classmates would be able to come and get them.

The latter of the three was what she was most sure of. No hero would let inexperienced children go alone. Not that Class 1-A was inexperienced, but she was positive that Aizawa wouldn't risk it.

Due to the rising of the moon and its light, Hotaru was able to see more of the room. Her eyes traveled up to the door at the far end of the room. There was nothing between her and it. If she wanted, she could attempt an escape but she knew it was futile. All For One was probably on the other side, if not him then a Nomu or something. Hotaru narrowed her eyes.

'_This isn't how I thought my summer would go..._' she thought. She almost smiled at the thought.

She had originally planned on finishing the training camp then trying to go to her family's temple. She figured she could get some background information on Kiyo, maybe find some ways to better connect to her. It would also help her connect her to her mother for the same reason.

When she first thought of the idea, she wondered if Bakugou would like to travel with her. They were friends, after all. It would just be a simple road trip and that's it. No school, no villains, just them. Then it struck her...

That sounded a lot like a date.

At the time, Hotaru wasn't worried about it seeming that way but now that she looked back...Maybe it wasn't the best idea. Kiyo would object and Bakugou would probably want nothing to do with her over the summer.

'_Well...at least not now_,' she thought. A smile played at her lips. Kiyo was right. She's always right. Her mind flickered through past conversations with Kiyo. Her and Bakugou's interaction on the roof came up. She remembered how warm it felt when there was no distance between them.

'_Remember what I said. You're strong, Lizard Girl. Don't start thinking about that stupid shit._'

_'I don't want anyone else to feel like I did. I want to help others. I just needed to be reminded why I wanted to be a hero in the first place.'_

A smile formed on Hotaru's lips. Her and Bakugou's relationship was the most important thing in the world to her. He was her first friend. Sure she had Kirishima, Midoriya, and the others but Katsuki was the first person to ask questions and show interest in her.

'_Bakugou's too stubborn to realize it and I hate to say it but I doubt Hotaru will muster up the courage to ask.'_

Hotaru softened her eyes. She knew she wasn't exactly the bravest but she was trying. She held herself tighter, knowing she wouldn't be able to show her strength again. She wouldn't be able to tell Bakugou...

**-_-**

**I know this seems like a sob-story at the moment, but I just wanted to establish where Bakugou and Hotaru stood. If you couldn't tell, Hotaru knows how she feels. Bakugou...is still figuring things out. **

**Thanks again for reading, Loves!**

**Special Thanks To...**

**_navybluebookworm_**

**_HotaruKitsune _**

**_always8567_**

**_M-Preg Angel_**

**_Child of Wind and Wolves_**


	24. The Saviour Is Here

**Chapter 27**

**Hotaru's P.o.V**

It was futile to try and sleep so I simply sat there. My head laid against the cold floor as I stared at the door. I had stopped worrying. Honestly, at this point, I stopped feeling. I blocked out any thoughts and just let my body lie.

I didn't know how long I had been sitting there but I knew that All For One _would_ come back so I didn't want to test my luck. I clenched my jaw as I heard approaching footsteps. This is exactly why I didn't want to try and escape...

"Have you made a decision?"

He was back.

I narrowed my eyes. I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out. Tears welled up in my eyes as I realized I was once again frozen in fear.

"That's all right. If you don't cooperate then we can always go to the other recruitment," All For One said, turning back towards the door. I inhaled sharply, watery eyes widening. All For One stopped, probably knowing he had gotten to me.

"It's you or him. If we are forced to accept him as our own, then you will have no use. I can't say it will be pretty if that happens," he said. I bit my bottom lip to prevent myself from sobbing. After a small moment of silence, I spoke.

"Katsuki won't join you," I muttered, eyes hidden by my hair.

"Then we will use more force," All For One said calmly. I clicked my tongue against the roof of my mouth.

With all the strength in my body, I dashed towards All For One. I knew I couldn't go up against him, but I was furious that he would threaten my friend. My gut was right.

The large villain was ready for me and showed that by instantly punching my stomach. I flew into the wall behind me, spitting up a little bit of blood. I felt something crack inside of me. I gasped for air as my impact with the wall had taken all the air out of me. All For One stared down at me.

"It's useless. I _will_ have one of you join our side, one way or another." he said. I narrowed my eyed. All For one stepped towards me, towering above me.

"You will choose or help him do so," he said with a stern attitude. I narrowed my eyes as I finally gained control of my breathing. I stared up at All For One as silence once again reigned in the room. I closed my eyes solemnly.

'_What the hell do I__ do...?'_

**...**

**Third P.o.V**

"It's so strange..."

"Why are heroes being criticized? The way they were dealing with things is just a little off the mark. Is it because of their job to protect?" Shigaraki started rambling again. Bakugou, clad in heavy iron restraints, frowned. He didn't want to listen to this freak talk about the flaws of the hero society.

"Everyone makes a mistake or two. Are they supposed to be perfect? Modern-day heroes are so uptight. Don't you think so, Bakugou?" Shigaraki turned to the boy who only narrowed his eyes.

"Once heroes get compensation for helping people, they're no longer heroes. That's Stain's teaching," Spinner said from his place against the wall.

"The strange system of turning people's lives into money or glory...The society that sticks tight to those rules...The citizens who blame the losers instead of encouraging them..." Shigaraki continued his rant.

"Our fight is to question; what is a hero? What is justice? Is this society truly just? We'll have everyone thinking about it," he explained. Bakugou felt his jaw tighten and his teeth grit together.

'_They didn't have to bring Lizard Girl or me into this,'_ he thought.

"We plan on winning. You like winning, too, right?" Shigaraki narrowed his eyes. Bakugou clenched his fist as the man.ordered for Dabi to release his restraints.

"This guy's gonna fight, you know," Dabi rebutted.

"It's fine. We treat him like an equal, since we're scouting him. Besides, you can tell if you're going to win or not when you fight in a situation, right, UA student?" Shigaraki attempted to mock UA. All was silent for a moment.

"Twice, you do it."

"What, me?! No way!"

"Just do it."

"Man..." Twice sighed as he approaches Bakugou.

"As I told the girl, I'm sorry about the forceful methods we're using. Please understand that we are not just a mob trying to commit crimes. We didn't kidnap you by accident," Compress said as his comrade began to unlock the boy's restraints.

"Even though our situations differ, everyone here has been restricted and suffered because of people...rules...and heroes. I'm sure you also-" Shigaraki was cut off when Bakugou, finally free from his restraints, attacked. He set off an explosion right in front of Shigaraki's face, smoke filling the room.

"I listened to your endless talking and I still don't know where Lizard Girl is. Idiots can't get to the point so they're always talking for a long time. Basically, you're saying '_We wanna harass people, so please join us,'_ right?" he spat.

"Don't bother."

By this time, Shigaraki was visible again. The hand that covered his face was lying on the floor and his hair was forced to cover what the hand once had. He was dead silent.

"I want to win like All Might. No matter what anyone says, that will never change!" Bakugou shouted. No one dared to speak at that moment. Taking advantage of the quiet, Bakugou thought of a plan.

He needed to get out and find Hotaru. He remembered Shigaraki saying she was with his master. So he needed to find the boss. Whatever. He'd cross that bridge when he got to it. He decided to defeat a few of the league members then make a break for it.

"Just so you know, I'm still allowed to fight!"

"You know exactly what your position is, huh? What a smart boy!" Magne was right. Bakugou knew that the villains needed him, so they couldn't kill him.

"Even if he wasn't going to join us, he should have pretended we were winning him over. He's done it, now," Compress said.

"I won't do something I don't want to even if I'm faking it. Plus, I need to find Lizard Girl before anything happens," Bakugou said.

"She's probably a broken doll by now," Magne let out a dry chuckle. Bakugou furrowed his eyebrows.

"We know how...fragile...the girl is," Compress said.

"I'll kill every last one of you if there's so much as a scratch on her," Bakugou hissed. Shigaraki mumbled something then began to raise his hand.

"Shigaraki, don't!" Kurogiri called. His nerves were settled, however, when Shigaraki simply put his arm in front of the others, signaling for them to stay back.

"No one touches him," he said before grabbing the hand off the floor and putting it back on his face.

"That guy...is a valuable piece. I wish you would have listened to me a little. I thought we could come to an understanding," he said calmly.

"Understanding? No way," Bakugou wasn't one to back down from a fight.

"Then you've left me no choice...Master, lend me your power," Shigaraki turned to the television set behind him. The screen was simply static, but a menacing voice came through. Bakugou didn't recognize it.

"As you wish, Shigaraki Tomura."

Little did he know that that voice had a tied up Hotaru right next to him. The girl had a cloth in her mouth to stop her from biting anything or making noise, her arms were chained up behind her, and she dangled about a foot off the ground.

"You see, girl? It's you or him," All For One, the man behind the voice, had said. He was able to see what was happening via his monitors. Hotaru narrowed her eyes. They were dull and almost lifeless. She tilted her head so she could see the screen.

The teen watched as Shigaraki ordered Compress and Kurogiri to make Bakugou 'sleep' again. She couldn't help but think that this all could have been prevented if she had simply spoken up.

Where was Kiyo?

Where were the heroes?

She had no answers to the questions that flooded her mind. She closed her eyes and lowered her head as Compress began to approach Bakugou. It was quiet except for Compress' complaints about having to do so much work.

"Hello, this is Pizza-La, Comino Store."

Hotaru slowly opened her eyes. Did the villains _really_ order a pizza? She knew Shigaraki was childish but...seriously? She was just about to close her eyes again when she realized she had heard the voice before. Realization dawned on her when she finally remembered where she heard it from.

'_Kami...hara?' _

Suddenly, a loud crash came from the monitors. She blankly stared at them, witnessing the action.

"SMASH!" It was All Might! All Might had broken through the wall of the Villan League's hideout, the sudden action catching the villains off guard.

Another hero, Kamui Woods, came through the opening All Might made and bound all the villains. Right behind him was a small man who gave Dabi a swift kick to the face, knocking him out and keeping him from burning Kamui Woods' restraints.

"Just what I'd expect from one of the most competent heroes around, Kamui Woods! And the veteran faster than the eye can see, Gran Torino!" All Might praised before turning back to the Villains.

"You cannot run anymore, League of Villains," he said with a deadly tone.

"Why? Because we are here!"

Hotaru rolled her eyes. After hearing it so many times during class, the catchphrase kind of lost its spark for her.

"When one is on the offensive is when one neglects defense the most," a familiar hero appeared. Hotaru felt a warmth in her chest. Kamihara was as calm as always.

"We're not the only ones here from the Pizza-La Camino store," he opened the door to reveal at least a dozen men with guns.

"Outside you're surrounded by skillful heroes, like Endeavor, and the police," he added. Hotaru felt a smile form on her face. Bakugou would be safe...

'_That's all that matters.'_

"They're early than I thought...and they took the boy..." All For One assessed the situation. He stood up and buttoned his sleeve.

"However, I still have the advantage," he turned to Hotaru, "It makes no difference if they took the boy because they won't have him for long." Hotaru narrowed her eyes, looking down towards the ground. The room became silent, the only noise coming from the monitors.

"Hey, Shigaraki, can I ask you where your boss is?" Hotaru heard Gran Torino ask. She felt the warmth leave her chest as it was once again replaced with dread.

"The boss has Lizard Girl," she heard Bakugou say with a sudden sense of urgency. Her ears perked up. Had he really been worried about her?

"Lizard...You mean Young Anzai?" All Might questioned. Hotaru looked towards the screens again. She saw Bakugou nod, drawing Kamihara's attention.

"We find the boss, we find her," he said as he forced Kurogiri into unconsciousness.

"This...unsatisfying...Don't be ridiculous...Don't be ridiculous," Shigaraki seemed to have snapped.

"Where are they right now?" All Might asked. Hotaru held her breath as All For One walked over to her. He took the cloth out of her mouth, so she was able to talk.

"All Might...will fight," Hotaru's voice was raspy thanks to her dry throat. All For One grinned, lifting Hotaru's head up so she was forced to look directly at him.

"That's what I'm counting on."

**-_-**

**Sorry for changing the story's title on you guys. It bothered me that I didn't think the story would be good enough to actually have a title that I thought about. For now, I'll just leave it as is but it might change again. **

**Thanks, Loves!**

**Special Thanks To...**

**_Breezen922_**

**_LordGrims_**

**_keliawb_**

**_fernando.ffn619_**


	25. Saving The Liability (Repost)

**Chapter 28**

**Hotaru's P.o.V**

**(There's a bit of gore here. I personally don't think it's that bad but if you want to skip it, scroll down to _Later... Or just go to the next chapter if you feel you won't miss too much._)**

"What the hell?!"

My eyes shot open and my body went stiff.

'_Katsuki_...!' I screamed inside my mind. I tried to escape my chains, writhing around as much as my fatigued and tired body would allow. I wanted to call out to Katsuki but I knew that he couldn't hear me. Nobody could.

"You have failed again, huh, Shigaraki?"

Shigaraki was there, too...

"No matter. You will simply try again. You can try as many times as needed. I even brought back your team," All For One said.

The _whole_ League of Villains...They were all there...Just by listening in on that quick conversation, I could tell how dire the situation was. Katsuki versus all of the villains wouldn't even be a fight.

"So you're the boss?" Katsuki asked. I could barely pick up All For One's chuckle.

"Indeed, I am," he said. After a moment of silence, I heard Katsuki speak once again. His voice was a low, deep, growl.

"Where is she?"

"She's not too far," All For One answered. I heard what sounded like Katsuki clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. He must have been unsatisfied with All For One's cryptic answer. I bowed my head again, tears forming in my eyes. I was so close yet so far from freedom. I didn't even get excited when I heard All Might crash into the scene and take on All For One. At this point, I simply wanted to be left in the dark quiet...

Then, everything went black.

I had coughed up a black liquid that quickly consumed my body. Everything had gone black for a bit but once I could see again, I immediately noticed I was in between All For One and All Might.

"You'd really go so low as to use a child as a human shield?" All Might asked through his clenched teeth.

"No. I simply want to prove a point," All For One said as he grabbed me by my throat. I widened my eyes, yelping as I was pulled off my feet. Bakugou flinched as if he wanted to run, but he simply narrowed his eyes and looked to the ground. I silently thanked him for not getting involved.

"It took this girl to make me realize how stubborn the next generation is," the large villain that held me had said. I tried to bite, scratch, and kick the man as he tightened his grip on me. I gasped for air, All For One's grip restricting my airflow.

"That's enough," All Might said with a deadly tone. All For One loosened his grip on me but didn't let me go. As soon as I could breathe again, I began to cough and take in as much air as I could.

"Let her go," All Might demanded. All For One paused.

"You seem to not get the message..." a small chuckle could be heard through his mask.

"You cannot save everyone. That's the flaw in heroes. They raise their status and make themselves look big when all you are is small," he said. My eyes widened as I realized what was about to happen.

"Now, I want you to watch one of your own helplessly die right before you."

"NO!" it hurt for me to shout, but I felt I had to.

"I have acquired a quirk that can disable a person in a matter of minutes. It drains the nervous system until you're left with no mobile abilities," All For One said. Tears streamed down my face.

"I don't want to die," I squeaked out in a hushed voice.

"Time to fulfil your purpose. This is why I kept you around," All For One whispered into my ear. I began to dig my nails into his arm. I was sure that my neck would be bruised but that was the least of my worries. He tightened his grip...

He didn't stop.

**Third P.o.V**

Bakugou flinched as a bone-chilling crunch came from Hotaru's body. She stopped struggling and went silent. She was completely still. Bakugou's felt a pain inside of his chest.

"Lizard Girl..." he mumbled. Hotaru's eyes grew wide as blood trickled out of her mouth. All For One threw her to the side, her body lying motionless on the ground. Everything was quiet. Bakugou stared at Hotaru with large eyes. A puddle made of her blood began to grow around her. All For One reached his hand out and forced an unconscious Kurogiri to use his quirk, a warp gate opening up soon after.

"Now, go," he ordered.

"But what about you-" Shigaraki was cut off when All Might rushed at his master. All For One began to levitate as All Might drew closer. With a simple raise of his arm, he countered All Might's attack.

"Shigaraki! While that pipe mask is holding All Might back, grab your pieces!" Compress said. Bakugou clenched his fist and jaw as he looked at the villains surrounding him.

"What a pain..." he grumbled.

"Young Bakugou!" All Might called. He tried to head towards him and help but All For One stopped him. He was stuck in the battle.

Bakugou was forced to face the league alone. He side-stepped, dodging Toga and Twice's attack at the same time. Then, he used an explosion to throw himself up and over Compress. He knew that the situation had changed and the villains would use force, now. That point was made very clear by All For One when he discarded Hotaru like she was nothing.

For a split second, Bakugou's eyes moved to the girl. She was still bloody and was clearly very weak. She was past her limit. Her hair was falling over her face, a single scarlet eye peeping through. Bakugou saw more emotion in that fiery orb than he had ever seen in her before.

Desperation, determination, anger, fear, and despair.

At least, that's all Bakugou saw before a brilliant, blue, flame burst to life. It started out in front of Hotaru then travelled all the way to the villains, growing once it reached them. It was a wall.

"Thanks, Lizard Girl," Bakugou smirked. Hotaru flashed him a weak smile before collapsing onto the ground. The blonde ran towards her, throwing caution to the wind. Her breathing was shallow and a small gurgle could be heard, presumably caused by the blood.

"You'll be fine, Damn it," Bakugou didn't know if his words would turn out to be true or not. Hotaru didn't respond. She reached her hand and touched the ground, using what little strength she had to engrave her words onto the ground.

'_Run_,' she spelt. Bakugou frowned.

"Idiot. I'm not leaving you," he said. Hotaru narrowed her eyes. The blonde boy watched her as she began to write again.

'_Own fault. Liability.'_

"Shut the hell up," Bakugou spat. Hotaru grabbed his hand. She gave him a pained smile. Suddenly, she widened her eyes. It wasn't a horrified look, but one of shock. Bakugou turned around to see what she was looking at and found that a large spike of ice had appeared. At the top, a familiar green light could be seen. It was obviously Midoriya and his quirk.

"Come on!" a voice yelled. Bakugou looked harder at the moving object in the sky. Kirishima was there, too. Bakugou quickly assessed the situation. He looked down at Hotaru, pulling her up to her feet. He wrapped an arm around her waist and narrowed his eyes.

"Hold on."

With a single blast from Bakugou's quirk, the two were up in the sky. Within seconds, they were flying through the air with Midoriya, Kirishima, and Iida. The villains tried to follow but the heroes Mt. Lady and Gran Torino stopped them. Bakugou kept Hotaru close to him with one hand and held on to Kirishima with the other. He was saving the former while the latter saved him.

'_Hang in there..._' he thought. Kirishima looked at the two teens with concern-filled eyes.

**Later...**

Bakugou, Kirishima, and the others landed on the ground and made their way through the streets. Midoriya had just gotten off the phone with Todoroki and Yaoyorozu, who had helped in the retrieval of their classmates.

"The police are working on evacuations. Todoroki and Yaoyorozu made it out safely," Midoriya sighed with relief. Iida nodded.

"We need to get Hotaru to a hospital," Kirishima urged. Bakugou clutched the unconscious girl tightly.

"On it," he turned to leave but was stopped by Iida grabbing his arm.

"Take Kirishima with you. It should be safe for us to split up, but we shouldn't take chances," he said. Bakugou furrowed his eyebrows but nodded. Together, the red-head and the blonde took Hotaru to the hospital.

There weren't many people waiting, so the trio got a room quickly. Bakugou's stubbornness and constant insisting that Hotaru be taken in played some part in the process. He practically forced the weak girl into the doctor's hands.

The two boys were told to wait outside while the doctors worked on the young teen and called any family they had on file. Bakugou knew that wouldn't go well. His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden sense of urgency in the room. Many nurses came rushing through, the words '_code blue_' being repeated over the intercom the whole time. It only made Bakugou worry more. Kirishima walked up to the front desk.

"What does code blue mean?" he asked the woman.

"It means there is a medical emergency in the hospital," she replied with a smile from behind the desk.

"What room?" Bakugou asked, appearing next to Kirishima. Up until this point, he had gone unnoticed.

"Three-o-six," the lady told them. Bakugou and Kirishima froze.

"Lizard Girl," Bakugou mumbled. They spun on their heels and rushed to Hotaru's room. They would have entered, but a doctor stopped them. She wore dark, emerald green, scrubs, a white coat, and had her brown hair tied up into a tight bun.

"You can't be in here," she said.

"Can you at least tell us what's wrong?" Kirishima pleaded. The doctor sighed. She flipped over the paper that was on her clipboard then turned it around so the boys could see. It showed them a diagram with certain parts circled red.

"The patient suffers from a fractured rib and a collapsed trachea. There was internal bleeding but we're working on clearing it up," the brunette pointed the neck of the human on the paper.

"English," Bakugou grumbled. The doctor shuffled the papers on her clipboard once again. When she turned it back around, the boys were met with two x-rays.

"The one on the right is a normal x-ray-how a normal person's neck area would look if not damaged," she explained, running her pen over the picture.

"Now...the one on the right is of the patient's neck. See all the cracks and breaks?" she looked up to the boys after showing them Hotaru's x-ray. Kirishima had wide, sad, eyes that shifted over to Bakugou. He wondered what his friend was thinking and how he was feeling. If he thought it was his fault, it wasn't.

Bakugou's narrowed eyes never left the x-ray. He stayed silent as he stared at the photo. A few moments later, he looked up at the doctor, his expression serious.

"Will she be okay?" he asked gruffly. The doctor looked back to the room, the blinds stopped her from seeing anything. She nodded.

"I believe that she will. If we stop the internal bleeding, it'll be easier to treat everything else. Most of the remaining injuries can be covered with some prescriptions and therapy," she said with a tinge of hope in her voice. Kirishima smiled at the good news. Bakugou sighed, closing his eyes for a moment.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go meet with the girl's immediate family."

Bakugou's eyes shot open. _Meet_ with the family? Her mother was here? Oh, this would be fun.

**...**

Bakugou furrowed his eyebrows as Anzai Satomi, Hotaru's mother, talked with the brown-haired-blue-eyed doctor that was working on Hotaru. He knew the look of worry on the mother's face was fake and sat close enough so he could hear the conversation but keep Kirishima oblivious to his plan.

"Has she had any severe injuries in the past? Cuts, burns?" the doctor asked. Satomi shook her head.

"No, she's always been safe with me," she said. Bakugou grit his teeth together at her answer. Like hell was he going to sit there and listen to the bullshit coming out of that crazy woman's mouth.

"Doctor Watanabe, we need you," a male nurse walked up to the doctor. She sighed before turning to Satomi.

"I'll be right back," she said. Satomi nodded as she walked the woman walk away. She sighed, massaging her temples.

"What did that little shit do to herself this time?" she grumbled. Bakugou couldn't stop himself from approaching her after her comment. Kirishima gave him a confused look but once he saw where his friend was going, he widened his eyes.

"What are you-" "Why the hell are you here?" Bakugou didn't listen to the redhead. Satomi raised an eyebrow.

"I remember you. You're that kid who said I treat my daughter like garbage," she stood up and crossed her arms. She and Bakugou glared at each other with an intensity that rivalled an electric current.

"It's because you do! You think that I don't notice the burns and scars on her?" Bakugou lowered his voice at the last part. Satomi scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"I don't know what you're implying-" "Quit acting like you're oblivious to this. You're only here because people know you have a daughter, now," Bakugou furrowed his eyebrows, his glare never wavering. Satomi raised an eyebrow.

"I seem to remember her pushing you away. She never asked for your help, correct?" she asked. Bakugou got uncharacteristically quiet

"You are simply another object she is using. She'll feed off your affection and attention until there is nothing left. You'll end up in pain and she will be back at square one," Satomi said before walking towards the front doors of the hospital. Bakugou sighed and Kirishima stared at him with confusion-filled eyes. He was about to start speaking when the doctor approached them. Bakugou held his breath when he saw the woman walked up.

"You two are friends with the girl in room three-o-six?" she asked. Both boys nodded.

"Well, you'll be happy to know that her condition has stabilized, for now. She still needs surgery but, at the moment, she's doing fine," the doctor said with a warm smile. Kirishima smirked, holding back his pleased laughter, and Bakugou sighed.

"Is she awake?" he asked. The doctor nodded.

"Sadly, no. She's still feeling effects from the sedatives we gave her," she said, trying to warn Bakugou and Kirishima. They didn't listen and just ran to her room. Bakugou took a deep breath before entering.

"Lizard Girl?" he called, walking in. He immediately stopped. His eyes narrowed. Hotaru looked terrible. The purple-haired girl had shallow breathing, many tubes hooked up to her, and very pale skin. She was asleep but Bakugou didn't seem to care. He walked to her bedside and looked down at her with sad and angry eyes.

"Her trachea was badly damaged and her spinal cord suffered some, too. I'm afraid she won't be able to speak or have complete control over the lower half of her body for a while," a different doctor had walked in. He had black hair, dark eyes, and a beard that was just starting to grow. Bakugou stared at him for a minute.

"Will she be okay?" he asked grimly. The doctor knew what he was implying. He nodded.

"She will need some surgery from a doctor that will have to be flown in from the United States. She'll also need therapy-" "I didn't ask for that! I asked if she'd be okay, damn it!" Bakugou shouted. He had grabbed the doctor by the collar of his shirt, pinning him up against the wall. The raven-haired man kept his calm and endured it.

"Sir, I understand where you're coming from but please calm down," he said. Bakugou sighed. He stepped back and ran a hand through his spiky hair.

"Sorry," he grumbled. The doctor straightened out his coat.

"It's alright. You're only one of many boyfriends to make a scene," he said, adjusting his glasses. Bakugou froze. Kirishima widened his eyes as he watched Bakugou process the words just spoken. The blonde clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth and scoffed before sprinting out of the room. Kirishima turned to face Hotaru who, thankfully, didn't see what happened. The red-head sighed.

"Excuse me," he said to the doctor before leaving the room to look for his friend. After a few minutes of searching, Kirishima had found Bakugou sitting on a wooden bench outside the hospital doors. He had his head held in his hands. Kirishima sighed before sitting next to him.

"What's got you all worked up?" he asked. Bakugou shook his head.

"I don't know," he mumbled. Kirishima paused.

"You left after the boyfriend comment," he had noticed. Bakugou froze. It was silent for a moment, both friends unsure of what to say. After a few minutes, Kirishima decided to speak up.

"Dude, if you like her, go for it," he said. Bakugou closed his eyes. He let his arms fall down as he lowered his head.

"It's not that easy..."

"She already has enough shit happening to her. She doesn't need me fucking it up even more," Bakugou's frown deepened. Kirishima put a hand on his shoulder.

"None of what's happening is your fault. I know you think it is but-" "She wouldn't be in the hospital if it wasn't for me!" Bakugou shoved Kirishima off him. The red-head was shocked by his sudden outburst but he knew it was in his nature to do something like that. Bakugou stood up and glared at his friend.

"We never talked about any of this," he said before walking away. Kirishima shook his head, filled with disappointment. He had called it.

**Hey, everyone. I just made a bit of a change here to better fit the flow of the story. Also reposting so I can tell you guys how sorry I am that I made the mistake of saying my story was completed. I guess I accidentally clicked it. My apologies. **

**Also, the next chapter will probably be the last. Fear not, for I am only making this a two-part story. There will be another story that continues Hotaru's adventure.**

**Thanks again, Loves.**

**Special Thanks To...**

**_Lady Kato_**

**_ShyFox1337_**

**_Yael Anarly_**


	26. Worries Of The Loud Blonde

**Chapter 29**

**Third P.o.V**

It was only a few days after Hotaru was admitted into the hospital. Bakugou had decided to stop by and see if she was up. The past few times he came over, she was asleep and he wasn't able to stay for long without feeling awkward. The silence made him think of things he didn't want to think of...

This time, he couldn't wait to get to her room for the simple reason that he wanted to catch her up on what happened after she was knocked out. Specifically, the fall of All For One _and_ All Might. When the blonde got to the front doors of the hospital, Anzai Satomi occupied a wooden bench, cigarette in hand.

She caught a glimpse of the boy and scoffed, "Why are you still here?" Bakugou narrowed his eyes. Satomi let out a puff of smoke.

"I could ask you the same thing," she smirked. Bakugou glared at her. Satomi raised an eyebrow as she crossed her arms.

"Why do you care about her so much?" the blonde before her had frozen at the question. He narrowed his eyes and gave Satomi a deadly stare.

"Because apparently no one else does," he said. Satomi let out a dry chuckle.

"So...it's a pity kind of friendship?" she asked, amused. Bakugou clenched his jaw.

"That's not what I meant," he growled. Satomi went to walk past but stopped right next to the boy.

"She'll toss you out once she's done with you. This little hospital visit won't change anything," she muttered into his ear before leaving. Bakugou tightened his fist and punched the fall next to him. His knuckles started to bleed but he didn't care. He frowned. Hotaru wouldn't just discard him like that...Would she?

No. He wouldn't let that witch get into his head. He was going to walk into the hospital and find Hotaru awake and healthy.

"Excuse me," a familiar doctor stopped him as he entered, "You're a friend of Miss Anzai, right? The young lady in room three-o-six?" Bakugou paused.

"Yeah, why? What happened? Is she okay?" he began to worry. The doctor nodded.

"She was moved to surgery. Her mother let us start her operation as soon as the American doctor came in," she said. Bakugou sighed. He figured that was probably part of the perfect mother act Satomi had put on. He should probably thank her, though. He frowned at the thought as he followed the doctor to Hotaru's surgery room.

"The doctor from America has a special quirk that will help increase Miss Anzai's probability of survival during the surgery. It will also help her heal faster and get things moving along much quicker. If all goes well, she'll only need therapy for a week," the brunette explained. She turned around and faced the boy behind her.

"I'll let you know when we're done," she gave him a small smile before entering the room. Bakugou heaved a heavy sigh. He ran his hands through his untamed hair before pulling out his phone to keep track of the time.

Bakugou plopped down into one of the hard, uncomfortable, waiting room chairs. He wondered what he'd say to Hotaru once he got inside. He had planned on telling her about how All Might defeated All For One but now he was just unsure. Should he say something that would make her feel better? Should he even talk at all? It was all so much...

'_But she needs me, right now,'_ Bakugou thought, surprising himself. He knew that was something only a friend would say...but he had never thought that way about his other classmates. God, there were times he thought things about Hotaru he had never thought about _anyone_ else.

He wasn't wrong, though. She needed him. She needed someone to be there because, in the past, no one ever was. She had been so many things but protected and cared for was never one of them.

The blonde male shook his head, burying his face in his palms. He'd decided to confront Hotaru about their friendship. Was it all fake, like Satomi suggested? He'd find out soon. Too soon. Yet, not soon enough.

**That Night...**

Bakugou hadn't slept and not just because of the hard hospital chairs. He had not stopped worrying. He felt like he was going to have a heart attack. When the brown-haired doctor he recognized had approached him, he jumped out of his seat. He managed to restrain himself but still eagerly asked her how things went.

"She did great. She's resting up now and should be discharged in a few days," the woman smiled. Bakugou let out a sigh of relief. He opened his mouth to say something but found he didn't know what to say. The words would never come out right. He simply hugged the doctor. She was a little surprised but she returned his gesture.

"Can I see her?" Bakugou asked once he pulled away. The doctor nodded.

"I won't stop you," she held her hands up. Bakugou nodded before rushing off. He made it to Hotaru's room then froze. Moment of truth...

He held his breath and walked in.

The boy's red eyes instantly set on the familiar sight of plum-colored hair. The girl in the hospital bed was sluggish and seemed to have just woken up. She was alive, nonetheless. She was very pale and had a scar on her neck from the surgery.

Bakugou ran to her bedside and-without giving her time to react-wrapped his arms around her. She let out a squeak that was either meant to be pained or shocked.

"You scared the shit out of me," Bakugou said into her shoulder. Hotaru's eyes widened. All was silent as Bakugou waited for her reaction. Slowly but surely, Hotaru placed her arms around him.

"Sorry," her voice was still raspy and hoarse but it was _her_ voice. Bakugou furrowed his eyebrows

"What the hell are you apologizing for?" he asked, backing out of the hug but keeping his hands on her shoulders. Hotaru's face fell.

"I...I made you worry...Got hurt..." she could barely say the sentence. Bakugou clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth.

"You fucking kidding me? That dude basically squeezed the life out of you and you just came back from the dead! You're so much stronger than you think, Lizard Girl," he encouraged. Hotaru couldn't help but crack a smile. Tears rolled down her pale cheeks but no one addressed them.

Bakugou simply put a hand on the back of the girl's head and connected their foreheads. Hotaru was warm and he could feel it. Boundaries were thrown out the window. He simply wanted to be with her and share this quiet, peaceful, moment. She needed it. He needed it. They _both_ needed it.

"How are you?" Bakugou finally asked. Hotaru gave him a small smile.

"Good," she managed to say.

"Does it hurt to talk?"

"A little. It'll get better."

"That's awesome..."

The blonde sat by Hotaru's bedside and talked with her for what seemed like hours. He caught her up on what she missed, including All Might's fall and All For One's imprisonment. Some tears were shed but she understood it was for the greater good.

At one point, Bakugou yawned, in which Hotaru offered to let him sleep in her bed. The sleepy teen, not really thinking about the action his friend was suggesting, nodded in agreement. He got up and crawled into bed with Hotaru. Wordless and tired, they fell asleep together.

**The Next Morning...**

A good night's rest was all Hotaru wanted and she was thankful to have finally gotten it. When she woke up, she was surprised to feel a weight across her abdomen. She cocked an eyebrow and turned her head slightly, catching a glimpse of blonde hair and a toned arm. She silently watched his chest rise and fall for a moment. Her face grew hot.

The purple-haired girl didn't dare move, afraid she'd wake up the boy next to her. She remembered offering her bed as solace for Bakugou having worried all this time. He was clearly exhausted. A smile tugged on Hotaru's lips as she saw how calm the blonde looked while sleeping...

When the purple-haired girl saw his eyes twitch, she jerked her head back. She didn't want him to catch her staring. She pretended to be asleep as she felt him shift in his sleep. He pulled her closer to his body, burying his face in her hair. Hotaru could feel body his heat on her back.

'_I mean...I shouldn't wake him up...Just let him sleep, right?'_ she thought. She took consistently slow breaths to make it seem like she was also asleep. Thanks to her enhanced hearing, she could even hear her friend's breathing. The two had their moments but _this_ took the cake. She felt Bakugou start to move again. This time, he was waking up.

"What the hell...?" he grumbled sleepily as he moved Hotaru's hair out of his face. He paused when he noticed the 'sleeping' body next to him. Bakugou soon realized the situation and froze.

Hotaru's heart skipped a beat when she realized he had yet to leave the bed. Instead of jumping away and yelling at Hotaru, like she expected, the blonde quietly shuffled back under the covers with her. He got back in and pulled her close, diving into the vast, purple, ocean that is her hair.

"Just a few more minutes," she heard him mumble. She blushed and let her small smile shine. He truly was something to behold.

**Hey, so I know I had this story marked as completed but it's not. I apologize for that. I guess I accidentally clicked that and forgot to change it. Anyway, I hope you guys like it.**

**Thanks again, Loves!**

**Special Thanks To...**

**_Midnight Angels Say Goodnight_**

**_mantale3_**

**_ToddJ27_**

**_DezG23_**

**_Rainafox_**

**_wolfedge10_**

**_PurpleGalaxyKSM_**

**Reviews;**

_**Midnight Angels Say Goodnight**\- I'm so sorry about that! I hadn't noticed it until you brought it to my attention. Thank you for reading and bringing this problem up so I could fix it. Sorry again, love._


	27. Shut up and Listen

**Chapter 30**

**Hotaru's P.o.V **

I felt a sudden chill run down my spine, shocking me out of my slumber. Why was it so cold?

I looked around and knew I wasn't in the hospital, anymore. I wasn't even in Japan. I wasn't anywhere. The entirety of the space around me was just black, empty, darkness.

"Hello?" I called. My raspy and broken voice echoed as I felt the ground-or whatever held me up-begin to shake.

Suddenly, set apart from the darkness, was a large beast. It was a snake-like being with two red, glowing, eyes. It was made of shadows that were somehow darker than the world around it. It felt...familiar.

"Kiyo...?" I raised an eyebrow. The shadow-being let out a hiss.

"_We need to talk," _Kiyo's voice was smoother than I remembered. It had a slight reverb to it.

"Like hell, we do. You left me to die!" I shouted. Kiyo's glowing eyes had narrowed at the comment.

"_No. We were growing apart and I-_" "Save the excuses. If you had simply been there, Katsuki and I wouldn't have been taken!" I clenched my fist. The bleak world around us changed in a fraction of a second. The black emptiness turned blood-red. I realized Kiyo was taller than I had originally thought. The snake's body coiled upwards, making it about eight feet tall.

"_Your longing for the boy clearly made you deaf to the words I tried to speak_," Kiyo said in a cold way. She almost sounded...disappointed.

"Just leave Katsuki out of this, okay?! He saved my ass when you wouldn't. I can barely fucking talk, now!" I felt tears well up in my eyes. I was positive that my face was red from my venting.

"_Watch yourself around him! I don't want you getting hurt!_" Kiyo raised her voice.

"Katsuki isn't like Anchin! He wouldn't make a promise if he couldn't keep it," I was shaking with rage.

"_You don't know that. You haven't known him for that long. I'm simply trying__ to protect you from becoming like me_," Kiyo said with a stern tone. I scoffed.

"_I _wouldn't be stupid enough to believe him," I spat. Kiyo went silent. I took the few moments of silence to calm down. Wth a few breaths, I was ready to hear what the spirit had to say.

"_I left you alone in the forest because I knew you were heading towards danger. I thought it would be my fault...So, I decided to let you go towards the boy. I figured he would keep you safe..._" she said quietly, narrowing her eyes. I furrowed my eyebrows skeptically. I never knew Kiyo could fear anything.

"Do you expect me to believe that?" I sighed.

"_No...I was wrong...Nothing either of us could have done would have saved you from All For One_," Kiyo said. The world around us began to change again. This time, it wasn't a color, but a scene. It was the forest in which UA held the training camp. I gave Kiyo a questioning look.

"_It didn't matter in the end...but the boy did better protecting you than I ever have or could_," Kiyo's shadow body turned towards the screen-like space behind us.

I watched Katsuki run with me in his arms. He looked down and I knew the look in his eyes. The sympathy that filled them. When Compress came out of the shadows and marbelized him, he held me closer to him. I softened my gaze as the screen switched to a different moment.

Katsuki was strapped up in the Villain League's hideout. It must have been after All For One took me because he was demanding to know where I was. The villains gave him an answer that only made him even more upset. The blonde's panicking state made me finally let my tears go. I forced back my sob as I looked back at Kiyo.

"Why are you showing me this?" I asked, voice barely audible.

"_Because I wanted you to see it. I guess I was a little jealous of your relationship with the loud blonde. Now I know I must let you go...I'm not the only one who cares about you, anymore_," Kiyo lowered her snake-like head until she was down at my level. I whipped the tears from my eyes. I couldn't stay mad at her. She had good intentions but she acted on them wrong.

"_I understand if you don't feel like continuing this conversation. I'll let you get back to the loud blonde, now._"

Just like that, I woke up.

**3rd P.o.V**

Bakugou called for Hotaru as he began shaking her shoulders. The purple-haired girl slowly opened her eyes. Bakugou scanned Hotaru's confused face. Sweat was trickling down her forehead, mixing with her tears once they reached her cheeks.

"What the hell, Lizard Girl?!" he didn't let go of her. Hotaru sniffled.

"Sorry...I guess I was dreaming a bit too lucidly," she let out a pained laugh that turned into a cough. Bakugou locked eyes with her, tightening his grip on her shoulders. Hotaru examined him with a worried expression.

"You're scaring me," she muttered quietly. Bakugou narrowed his eyes. After a minute of simply staring at her, he let her go. He stood up and turned away so she couldn't see his face and he could see out of the room's window. The nurse must have opened the curtains.

"You started crying and screaming...I didn't know what to do..."

"Katsuki..." Hotaru softened her gaze. Bakugou furrowed his eyebrows and folded his arms.

"I tried so hard to protect you in the forest. I ended up being no fucking help. I feel so godamn useless. I couldn't even save you..." Bakugou dug his nails into his arms.

He clenched his jaw and spoke through grit teeth, "I feel so fucking worthless...I can't stop thinking about it. I was so weak and you just..."

Bakugou was cut off by a sudden pressure on his back. He widened his eyes a bit and lifted his head up as he recollected his thoughts. His mind went blank, as if he was hypnotized.

"Don't..."

"Don't do that."

"Self-pity only makes things worse...Trust me," Hotaru muttered softly. She closed her eyes as she rested her head against Bakugou's back. She could feel a few drops of sweat that bled through his shirt. They were most likely part of his reaction to her crying in her sleep.

"In the words of someone who once helped me through a similar situation, you need to quit doubting yourself. You've put up with more crap than I could imagine, so don't start backing down now," the purple-haired teen said with a kind tone. Bakugou let his arms fall beside him. It was like her touch had calmed him down instantaneously.

"You've just gotta tell yourself you're not all those things you are. Don't believe the negative thoughts," Hotaru sat there, forehead still between Bakugou's shoulder blades. Neither of them wanted to move. The room was dangerously quiet as Bakugou took a deep breath. Hotaru noticed the shakiness of it.

"Hey..." she made him face her, "Look at me." She gave him a warm smile; his face cupped in her hands.

"You're the bravest, strongest, and most prideful person I know. You have every right to be all of those things. I know you couldn't do anything in the forest and-to be honest-no one could have. It was a large attack that was unavoidable," she held Bakugou's hands in hers.

"Nothing that's happening right now is your fault. You're the same guy who is going to kick the shit out of his goals and become the number one hero," she said, a tear rolling down her cheek. She stared directly into his eyes, empathy shining through, for she had been in his situation before.

Bakugou's jaw hung open. A few moments later, he pulled Hotaru into a tight hug, little to no hesitation in his action. She hugged back, a bright smile beaming on her face.

Both teens were startled by the knock that came from the door. They jumped as Hotaru's nurse walked in, "Hope I'm not interrupting anything." Hotaru shook her head.

"You're fine," she sighed. The nurse nodded as she put a bag on Hotaru's bed.

"You ready?" the woman asked. Bakugou gave Hotaru a confused look.

"What's happening?" he asked. Hotaru quirked an eyebrow. She paused before chuckling nervously and scratching the base of her neck.

"I guess...I forgot to tell you I was getting discharged, today..." she forced a smile as a bead of sweat rolled down her forehead. Bakugou facepalmed.

"How do you forget something like that?"

"Sorry, Katsuki..."

**Outside the Hospital...**

Hotaru took in the outdoor air. When she exhaled, she smiled. Air with a scent that wasn't mixed with blood...Not something she thought she'd miss. Bakugou elbowed her gently.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked. Hotaru gave him a quizzical look.

"I figured that you'd like a few more days away from that bitch you call a mom," he shrugged. Hotaru smirked, a wave of relief washing over her. She had dreaded talking to her mother. She knew she'd be mad because she had to spend so much money on medical bills and medication that Hotaru would definitely not receive.

"Thank you," she sighed. Bakugou nodded towards the car waiting in front of them.

"The Old Hag called us a cab. She's making food, too," he explained. Hotaru shook her head as she approached the car.

"You're mom's so nice. You should really treat her better," she scolded before hopping in the back seat. Bakugou rolled his eyes as he got in next to her.

He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, "Whatever."

"I'm serious," Hotaru giggled. Bakugou frowned.

"And I'm the fucking King," he rolled his eyes. Hotaru playfully elbowed him in the ribs as the car rolled away from the hospital. She was excited. She could finally start her life again...

**One Cab Ride Later...**

Bakugou helped Hotaru out of the car. The girl instantly noticed they weren't at an apartment complex. She recognized the surrounding buildings and the small patch of forest behind them.

"Why are we here?" she asked. Bakugou stayed quiet as he grabbed Hotaru's arm and began walking.

"H-Hey!" the purple-haired girl let out a simple cry before ceasing all objections. She let herself be led through the forest. She felt a warmth in her heart when she realized Bakugou remembered the exact location...

"Come here," the blonde walked through the vines that had grown out to create a make-shift wall. Hotaru followed him to one of the stone benches. They sat down together.

"You never answered me, you know?" Hotaru joked, smirking slightly. Bakugou sighed. He closed his eyes for a moment.

"Did you really mean what you said?" he asked. Hotaru gave him a confused look but with a little thinking, she managed to guess what he was talking about.

"Of course! You're a certified badass!" she grinned, pushing Bakugou playfully. The blonde forced a dry chuckle as he pushed her back.

"You okay?" Hotaru asked, noticing Bakugou's sudden seriousness.

"I guess," the blonde sighed, running a hand through his hair. Hotaru looked off into the distant forest. The dense trees hid them from anyone else's view.

"You can talk to me, you know," she said softly. Bakugou frowned. He had paused. A few minutes later, he spoke with hesitation.

"Do you ever just think that you're meant for something greater-something bigger?" he asked. Hotaru raised an eyebrow.

"We all do in a way, yeah...What's this about?" she asked. Bakugou stood up. He held out his hand and Hotaru grabbed it, standing up, too. She looked directly into his eyes.

"I know there's so much shit that's happened to us-and it's still happening-but I don't know if I can do it alone. I used to not feel so lonely because I thought I only needed myself...but then you came," he said, staring right back into hers. Hotaru felt a lump form in her throat as he spoke.

"Katsuki, I-" "Shut up and listen."

"You were there for me even when I didn't want you to be. You stuck around and confided in me. I know it sounds so fucking stupid but I've wanted to protect you since we first met," Bakugou put his hands on Hotaru's shoulders. He held her tightly.

"You've done so much for me. I know I can never return all the favors...but I wanted to let you know that I really appreciate it. No one's ever helped me out as much as you," the purple-haired girl softened her gaze, the shine of newly-formed tears creating a glaze over her eyes.

_'I love you for that_...' she wanted to say. Her cheeks dusted themselves with a light pink color at the thought.

"But...I-I can't..."

"I can't drag you into my mess," Hotaru couldn't stop the falling tears. Bakugou gave her a quizzical look.

"What?" he furrowed his eyebrows.

"There are things beyond our control that I know is going to change so much someday. I don't want you to worry about me. I've made you do that enough and I hate myself for it," Hotaru sniffled as she whipped away her tears. Bakugou's expression turned serious.

"You think I haven't thought this through?" he asked, putting his arms around her waist. Hotaru's breath hitched as she was roughly pulled closer to Bakugou. The redness in her face deepened.

"I will fight your bitch-of-a-mother or whoever this is about. I'll win and I'll make sure you're happy. You've been sad for so fucking long. I think you need a break from all this shit."

When Hotaru looked into the boy's eyes, she knew what she saw. The intense fire of his stare made her body heat up. Did he actually share her feelings? Did he know what he was saying?

Hotaru bit her lip to stop herself from crying any more than she already had. Bakugou tilted his head down and brushed the tip of his nose against hers. The horned girl could feel his breath against her lips.

"I _will_ protect you, Lizard Girl," Bakugou whispered gruffly. He slowly closed the distance between them. Hotaru put her hand on his chest but found she could only do that. Her body wouldn't allow her to stop him. She didn't really want to. She took a quick breath before their lips finally touched.

Hotaru's body was sent into override. She grew warm at the realization that he was so close. She could feel his body heat. Within a few seconds of him kissing her, she was giving in. She closed her eyes.

This was what she had been waiting for.

The way their mouths molded together perfectly was like finding a puzzle that you once tried to put together but never could. Once you located that hidden piece inside the box and put it together, you found the idea of finishing the puzzle after so long was a reward in and of itself.

Bakugou gently pressed himself into the kiss. It was surprising how gentle he was being. That was one of the few things her frantic mind could focus on at the moment. Bakugou somehow managed to pull her even closer. Hotaru's face was bright red and the blonde noticed that when he pulled away.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to do that," he said, voice low and a sly smirk spread on his face. Hotaru was speechless. She tried to talk but found she couldn't. She closed her eyes and silently cried.

"Katsuki...I...I-I don't know if I can..." she mumbled through her tears. She knew she had once tried to block herself off from things like human affection. She once thought she was incapable of loving for the simple fact she had always been told so by her mother and the kids at her old schools.

The fact that she never let herself experience it was something she wished she could change. Now she had the power to and it was with someone who was always there. Bakugou. Bakugou Katsuki was always there and had done so much for her. He was the true friend she always wanted. Now, she could make that something more.

Except she couldn't.

Hotaru watched him hesitate before turning around. He took a few steps then gave her an over the shoulder stare.

"Just think about it," the blonde said. Hotaru's face dropped when she heard the disappointment in his voice. She clenched her jaw and shaking fists as she watched him leave.

'_I can't..._'

Without thinking, Hotaru ran to Bakugou. He was at the entrance of the little garden so Hotaru was able to pick up a bit of speed. Once she got to him, she jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist, her tail also wrapping around his left leg.

He wasn't exactly expecting it so when she jumped, he fell back. Both of them hit the ground but neither of them mentioned it. Hotaru had her arms on either side of Bakugou's head, keeping him on the ground. She took a deep breath.

"I can't just watch you walk away, again," she said quietly. Bakugou put his hands on her hips as she straddled him. He didn't try to fight back and simply let her lead. Hotaru leaned down and pushed herself into the kiss.

The purple-haired girl had never kissed anyone, nor had she thought to practice, but she saw her mother do it with many men. That's the only way that woman has ever helped her...and, in the moment, she was grateful. Hotaru paused so she could breathe, her purple hair draping down and brushing Bakugou's chest. She locked eyed with the blonde again. He smirked.

"No one said you had to stop," he said slyly. Hotaru smiled and giggled light before returning to the task at hand.

Hotaru bit Bakugou's bottom lip a little harder than she meant to, drawing a little blood. Hotaru planted another passionate kiss onto his lips, taking the blood from him. Her flames burst to life. This time, however, they were your average red, orange, and yellow flames. The bursting embers danced around the two teens like fireflies.

The two were clearly in love. Bakugou got so caught up in the girl before him that he didn't even hear the buzzing of his phone. It didn't matter, anyways. The two teens deserved the moment. They deserved it and much more.

** Can I just say that this chapter is long overdue? I wanted to make them get together in the training camp but couldn't think of a right way to write it. It may have taken a bit longer but I like it this way. I hope you all do, too!**

**Thanks again, Loves!**

**Special Thanks To...**

**_sylvanahaster751_**

**_animegeek27_**

**_joshvarr99_**

**Reviews_!_**

_**Frost**\- I'm glad you understand my mess writing, hehe. Thanks for taking the time review. All I can say is yes. Yes, he will._


	28. Freedom From The Witch

**Hotaru's P.o.V**

Katsuki and I sat on his bed, his arm lazily wrapped around my waist. I had my head rested against his shoulder as I enjoyed the comfortable silence. I was content.

If you're going to ask if Katsuki and I are dating, I can't answer that. Did we kiss? Yes. Did we actually talk it through and make a decision on where we stand? No...

When I felt the weight underneath my head begin to shift, I raised an eyebrow, "Going somewhere?" Katsuki simply nodded before getting up and kissing my forehead. He walked towards his closed bedroom door and headed into the living room, leaving me alone. I sighed as I flopped back onto the bed, the silence now feeling lonely.

I turned my head to view the rest of the room and found a picture of Katsuki when he was young. He looked so bright and happy as he held up a fish he must have caught with his bare hands. Three kids marveled at him, amongst them was a wide-eyed and awestruck Midoriya. He looked at Katsuki like he was God.

Hotaru found it interesting that the picture was taken so the other two kids were partially cut out. Midoriya and Bakugou were the focus of the photograph. Hotaru realized it must have been taken by Bakugou's parents as two large shadows were cast from a source not in the photo.

"Even in the beginning, that boy idolized Katsuki..." I unconsciously muttered, picking up the photo. I smiled, a dry chuckle leaving my lips.

"I guess that's something we have in common," I mumbled. I was torn away from my thoughts by a sudden ring of the doorbell. I quirked an eyebrow as I sat up. I crept towards the living room, wanting to check out who had arrived. I hid behind the wall and listened in on the conversation.

"We came to see if-with the addition of dorm rooms-Young Bakugou would like to continue to attend UA High."

'_All Might...?' _I recognized the voice. I softened my gaze, remembering that the pro hero was no longer number one. I slowly peeked out from my hiding spot. Much to my dismay, Aizawa was looking right at me. I hadn't thought to listen for any other visitors.

"I see Anzai's here," he called me out. I mentally cursed him. Attention turned to me. Katsuki, who was sitting next to his mother and father on the couch, sighed as I walked towards them. All Might stared at me for a minute.

"How are you, Miss Anzai?" he asked. I gave him a small smile.

"I'm fine, Sir," I said. He nodded. After a moment of silence, All Might stood up.

"Aizawa, please finish explaining the situation to Young Bakugou's parents. I need to talk with Young Anzai," he said. Aizawa nodded before turning back to Mitsuki and Masaru. I noticed Bakugou stare at me with a wary expression. I flashed him a warm smile.

'_Don't worry.'_

When All Might and I got outside the apartment, I noticed the hesitancy in his eyes. A light breeze blew by and I took a deep breath.

"I don't blame you," I said. All Might's face fell with relief as he let out a heavy sigh.

"I appreciate it but-" "No buts. I'm saying it so you don't have to. There was nothing you or anyone else could have done. I told Katsuki the same thing," I blankly watched the passing cars as the silence between us grew. All Might turned to me.

"Speaking of Young Bakugou, I noticed he seemed...happier...than normal. I take it that's your doing?" he asked quizzically. My face heated up. I saw his eyebrow lift and knew I had given myself up. I bit my lip.

"Possibly..." I muttered. All Might chuckled.

"I won't pry because I know you have your privacy. I do encourage that you keep it up if you can," he said. I looked at him with wide, shocked, eyes. I was stunned into silence. All Might gave me a pat on the back before turning towards the door to Katsuki's apartment.

"After Young Bakugou's parents make a decision, Aizawa and I would like to explain everything to your-" "Please don't," I blurted without thinking. All Might stared at me with a confused look in his eyes.

I decided to see it through, "I know I have a future at UA. Talk to my mother and that'll all change." All Might seemed shocked by my response but he was decent at hiding it. After a minute, All Might put a hand on my shoulder.

"I'll do my best to keep you at UA," was all he said before turning back towards the door.

"Thank you. Tell Katsuki I'm heading home. I'll see you there, I guess," I sighed. All Might nodded then entered Katsuki's apartment. I took a deep breath before beginning my journey home.

I thought about a lot of things on my walk, including Katsuki and my conversation with Kiyo. I put my hands into my pockets as I walked. She was right, again. Nothing could have been done about the attack and she just wanted to chose the route that caused me the least amount of pain.

"I understand now, Kiyo."

**Third P.o.V...**

Hotaru quietly shut the door behind her as she walked inside her home: the word home being used lightly. The clinking of glasses in the kitchen told Hotaru that her mother was, in fact, present.

"That was quite a show you put on," Satomi said. Hotaru sighed as she walked into the kitchen. Her mother was rummaging around the cupboard for a glass, a bottle of champagne next to her and a cigarette in her mouth.

"Thought you'd make me spend some money and make a fool of myself by pretending to care for you? Joke's on you," Satomi was not amused. Hotaru turned around so she could go to her room but her mother grabbed her wrist. She held Hotaru tightly as she took her smoke out of her mouth.

"That arrogant little boy-toy of yours caused me some trouble, too. You picked a fun one to hypnotize," she spat before lowering it onto her daughter's arm. Hotaru was shocked by the sudden heat, a stifled cry being the only noise she would allow herself to make. Satomi smirked as she noticed her tears.

"Keep being a little bitch and it _will_ get worse," she said. Hotaru bit the side of her finger on her unharmed arm. It distracted her but only for a little while. Satomi took a puff of her smoke before bringing it down on Hotaru's arm once again. This time, she pushed down on it. Hotaru was unable to stop the pained gasp or dry sob that escaped her lips.

"I hear that All Might and that Eraser hero are going door to door and asking parents if they want to re-enroll their children in UA."

Hotaru ceased all movement. Her wide eyes let the tears fall as she took a shaky breath. Satomi puffed her cancer stick once more then pressed it down onto Hotaru's neck, right under her left ear. Hotaru let out a howl of pain as her mother used her skin to extinguish her smoke. She fell to the floor crying as she held her right arm. Satomi scoffed.

"Pull yourself together before they get here," she said before taking her glass and champagne bottle into the living room. Hotaru sniffled, watching her mother leave. For a minute, she sat there, debating if it was worth it. Then, she remembered her last interaction with Katsuki. Their kiss was proof that it was. UA might not need her but she needed it.

'_Get up_.'

Hotaru froze. She widened her eyes a bit as the recognition of the voice set in.

_'Get up.'_

"Kiyo...?" Hotaru mumbled. She looked to her shadow and saw the red orbs. Blue flames rose up from them, dancing in the one spot on the ground. Hotaru forced a smile.

"I missed you."

**Later...**

Hotaru had gotten up and into her room. She locked the the door behind her as she sighed. Her arm still burned but she had managed to find some pain relief in the medicine cabinet.

She needed to hide the physical evidence, though. Ten-millimeter rings were left on her arm and neck. She didn't have makeup to cover it up with so she chose the next best thing; a long-sleeved jacket with a collar and some bandaids.

"I don't know why I'm trying to hide this if she's just going to say no to them..." Hotaru muttered.

'_You'll get your chance. Trust me,'_ Kiyo said. Hotaru nodded. Her relationship with the spirit seemed to have improved. She guessed they just needed a little time apart.

"Alright," the purple-haired teen sighed as she put the bandaids on top of the burns on her arm. She slipped the jacket on and made it to where it covered everything. She gulped down the lump in her throat as she looked into the mirror.

"I look like shit," she said as she looked herself over. She had bags under her eyes, a small scar on her neck from surgery, and her skin was unusually pale. She could think of excuses for everything but the burns on her arm. She shook the thoughts out of her head before brushing out her hair. Just as she finished getting ready, the doorbell rang.

"Hotaru, come down here, please!" Satomi called with a fake, loving, tone. Hotaru took a deep breath before walking downstairs. Aizawa and All Might looked to her. All Might smiled and Aizawa nodded.

'_Please keep your promise, All Might...'_

"Hello Young Anzai," the scrawny hero smiled. Hotaru returned the smile.

"Good Afternoon, Sir," she said, pretending not to have just spoken to him at Bakugou's place.

"We have something we'd like to discuss with you, Ma'am," Aizawa said. Satomi smiled with a fake warmth.

"Come on in," she moved out of the way so the two heroes could walk in. As their backs were turned to her, she shot Hotaru a look. A look that told her she was about to get her dreams crushed.

'_Let's get this over with.'_ Hotaru held her breath.

**Later...**

"I would be happy to let my daughter go back to UA. She deserves the best and I want to provide that for her."

That was the last thing Hotaru expected to hear from her mother. She widened her eyes a bit as Satomi smiled.

"Happy to hear that," All Might nodded, returning her smile with a small one. Hotaru stared dead ahead, frozen in a state of shock.

All Might stood up so he could leave, "Well, that's really all we needed. I'll be glad to see Young Anzai back at UA." Hotaru eyes narrowed sadly. She really hopes All Might would have noticed something was wrong. She wanted to just yell at him but she knew her mother would have convinced him she was crazy or something. She was great at coercing others to do or believe what she wanted.

'_She's a master manipulator and if you did something that threatens her, she'd surely push you to the brink of death,'_ Kiyo warned. Hotaru nodded, standing up. She gave All Might a small smile as he walked out the door. She caught a glimpse of Aizawa standing next to the car he and All Might came in. A long awaited sigh escaped her lips.

"So, what's the catch?"

"I think you've got an interesting little circle of friends," Satomi took out another cigarette. She lit it and let the smoke pour out of her mouth. She blew it in her daughter's face, an amused look on her face.

"But I believe that you spend too much time with them."

Hotaru's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. She held her breath as she watched Satomi's lips curl into a sly smile.

"Go to UA and say goodbye to all of those little bastards you've tricked into friendship," she said. Hotaru clenched her fist. She tightened her jaw and let her head fall.

'_You used to think you were a villain. I said you weren't. If you had acted like this woman then I would have told you otherwise,'_ Kiyo said. Hotaru took a shaky breath. The spirit was right...

The twisted woman knew the purple-haired girl wouldn't refuse. She knew her hold on her was that strong. She had to give in, though. There was no other way...

'_No other way...'_ she repeated in her mind.

'_No other way...'_

Suddenly, Hotaru turned around and ran out of the house. Satomi was quicker by a fraction of a second. She grabbed Hotaru's wrist but the girl managed to get the door open.

"All Might!" she shouted. The heroes were still there. All Might spun around as his name was called. Satomi cursed under her breath. Aizawa's scarf shot out and wrapped itself around Satomi's wrist. She flinched, letting go of Hotaru. The teen booked it out of the house. She ran to All Might and hid behind him. She couldn't and wouldn't face off against her mother. However, she _could_ run. She always wanted to run.

"That damned girl has cost me everything!" Satomi yelled. Her eyes were wide as she tried to shake Aizawa's scarf off. She looked like a madwoman.

"She's got that thing inside of her! It'll kill everyone! Stop it! We have to stop it!" her eyes burned into Hotaru's soul, the young girl cowering behind All Might. The scrawny blonde man wrapped an arm around her but kept her back a safe distance.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

'_Tell him. This is your opportunity-your chance at a better life,_' Kiyo encouraged. Hotaru swallowed the lump in her throat.

"I've wanted to leave for a long time..." she tried to sound spiteful but her voice came out broken. She tightened her grip on All Might's arm. As Aizawa restrained Satomi, she continued to shout.

"I can see the one on your neck and the bandages on your arm. Did she do that?" All Might asked. Hotaru hesitantly nodded. Satomi let out an angered scream.

"Don't feed into it!" she warned. Aizawa clicked his tongue before using his scarf to shut her up. All Might watched as Hotaru removed her jacket and took the band-aids off. He narrowed his eyes, frowning at the ten-millimeter burn rings. He looked to Satomi with a silent-but-furious gaze.

"Get the police over here, Aizawa. They need to be the ones to get her. She's not worth the energy," he spat. Aizawa sighed as he nodded.

"Thank you," Hotaru smiled as tears formed in her eyes. All Might returned the gesture.

"I'm glad you decided to say something. I wanted to do something when I saw the burn mark peak out from under your jacket. I knew I couldn't act, though. At least, not yet," he said. Hotaru somberly looked at her mother.

"Do you have anywhere else to stay?" All Might asked. Hotaru shook her head.

"She was all I had and I can't bother Katsuki with this. His mother has enough on her plate. She doesn't need another mouth to feed," she said. All Might paused.

"I'll figure something out. You shouldn't have to worry about were you'll stay right now," he sighed. Hotaru wrapped her arms around the hero.

"Thank you, All Might. You're still number one to me."

All Might couldn't stop the smile that etched its way onto his face. Soon, the police showed up and arrested Satomi for child abuse and neglect as well as fraud.

Apparently, all the time she spent at the church was nothing compared to the money she had been slowly leaking out of their bank account. It was a strange satisfaction that Hotaru felt as she watched her mother get put into the back of the police car.

'_I should have done this a long time ago...'_ she thought.

'_You should have done so many things a long time ago.'_

**...**

** Well, this chapter was definitely a harder one for me to write. With the holidays just around the corner, I was going to skip this week but I got a new computer and decided to just spend a whole day locked in my room. I'm a huge introvert and basically a garbage human. Anyway, how was everyone's holidays? Got any good gifts?**

**Thanks again, Loves!**

**Special Thanks To...**

_**AgentJuneau**_

**_MaxSiker_**

**_etford5_**

**Reviews...**

_**rsaenz18:** Thanks for the encouragment. I'll try my best!_


	29. Life's Better, Now (Pls read Author Note

**Chapter 32**

**Hotaru's P.o.V**

I flopped down onto the couch of the place I was staying. I let out an exasperated sigh as I cracked open a can of soda and chugged it. I had just finished my vocal therapy for the day and I wanted to go back to sleep. The sound of a lock turning and approaching footsteps made me aware of my company.

"Hello, Anzai. How are you?"

I groaned in response. I lolled my head to the side and shut my eyes. It was a bit dramatic but it got my point across.

"Why are you so tired? It was just vocal therapy."

All Might walked into the living room of his decently-sized apartment. Apparently, when he was trying to find places for me to stay, he had his own residence in mind.

In all honesty, All Might had been my saviour. I didn't blame him for anything and I made sure to let him know. Needless to say, I felt I had to thank him constantly. That is exactly what I did. I made sure to help him out as much as I could. Even when it meant unloading bags of various sweet foods...

"I still can't believe you bought so many..." I laughed as I rummaged through the bags All Might had brought home. The blonde man chuckled nervously.

"I was going to get you something but I don't know what kind of food you like. Next time you should come along," he said. I smiled and nodded.

"Sure thing," I said as I opened up a package containing a chocolate-covered strawberry and popped it into my mouth. Suddenly, my phone buzzed. I picked it up and read the name of the caller. I bit my bottom lip before putting the phone back down, leaving it to ring. All Might raised an eyebrow.

"I don't see why you won't call him back," he said. I narrowed my eyes.

"It's just...He never liked her and he _told_ me. I told him that she was all I had but now that she's gone...I just don't want him to worry..." I folded my arms in front of my chest. All Might shook his head.

"You don't want to hear an I told you so, that's what it is," he said. I felt a bead of sweat roll off my brow. Damn...he wasn't wrong...

"I'm scared, that's all." When am I not?

"Understandable, but don't forget that you'll have to dace him eventually. You two are in the same class, after all." All Might smiled. My eyes widened.

"You mean..."

"It's up to you. Principal Nezu said if you still want to go then UA will welcome you."

I ran up to All Might and hugged his tightly. He let out an oof sound as he stumbled back a bit. I couldn't stop smiling. I would be able to attend UA without my mother's rules. I was so happy!

"Now, I have a few more errands to run. Do you want to go see Young Bakugo or not?" All Might asked. I shot him a look before giggling and nodding.

"Come on, then, kid."

All Might proceeded to walk me to Katsuki's apartment complex. He lived a humble life and not having a car seemed to be part of that. He handed me my phone and told me that he'd be back after his errands were completed.

"Got it," I waved before running up the stairs to get to Katsuki's apartment. I waited for All Might to walk off before I knocked.

"Lizard Girl?"

Exactly who I hoped would answer the door.

"I did it...She's gone...I'm free," I threw out all senses of reservation and hugged Katsuki. I might have overdone it a little because I jumped more than I wanted, causing the blonde to stumble

**Bakugou's P.o.V**

I almost fell on my ass. Lizard Girl had shown up out of nowhere and just jumped on me. I wasn't expecting it but I didn't reject it.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked.

"My mom, dumbass. She's in jail for some theft scandal with the church," Lizard Girl said. Her little smile and giddy attitude were so damn cute. Her tail swished behind her excitedly. I couldn't stop myself.

"That's great," I said as I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her close to me. Because she's so fucking short, I had to bend down to kiss her. It was worth it, though. I could faintly taste the strawberry and chocolate on her lips. She seemed surprised which only satisfied me more. Her eyes lit up before they closed and she gave in. She dangled her arms over my shoulders as we held on as long as we could.

When I needed to breathe, I backed away. I could see the confusion and the want on her face. I smirked slyly.

"Now what's this about freedom?" I asked. Lizard Girl shook her head, refocusing.

"I-I can't live with her anymore...according to social services," she shook her head, clearing her mind.

"Now I have to live somewhere else. Don't ask where because I'm not saying," she said sternly. I pulled her into the living room and shut the door. The old hag was gone but I knew I only had so much time to say what I wanted to say.

"I'm glad you're okay. Are you still going to UA?" I asked. Lizard Girl nodded. I watched her fidget with the sleeve of her jacket as she sat on my couch. For a split second, her sleeve fell back and I could see a mark on her arm. When she went to cover it up, I grabbed her wrist. I held her arm up and pulled back her sleeve.

"What the fuck is this?!" I shouted. Lizard Girl flinched.

"It was her. Don't worry...Now that s-she's gone-" I shut her up with a hug. She got really quiet. I put one hand on her head to keep her looking down and away from my pissed face. She pressed herself into my chest. I didn't complain.

"Can you quit scaring the shit out of me for one goddamn second?" I sighed. A dry chuckle came from Lizard Girl. She let out a sigh. She mustered up the courage to ask what had been on her mind...After a moment of silence, she spoke.

"Katsuki...what are we?"

**Third P.o.V**

Bakugou froze, eyebrow raised and back straightened. The question caught him off guard. It even scared the one who asked it. Hotaru's nerves calmed down a bit when Bakugo cupped her face in his hands.

"We're whatever you wanna be," he said. He went in to kiss her but she was quicker. She quickly pecked his lips the retreated, doing so with a smile.

"That's good then," she giggled. Bakugou grinned devilishly, showing off his pointy canine teeth. He put his hands in the dips of Hotaru's frame and pulled back. Now, he was pressed up against the couch as Hotaru laid on top of him. She had turned pink and was clearly surprised by the bold move.

"Well...we're clearly past the friendship stage," she huffed. Bakugou chuckled as he reached up and left wet kisses on her neck. Hotaru felt a shiver run down her spine and she bit her bottom lip.

"Katsuki..." she mumbled as Bakugou pulled back.

"I don't ever want to let you go again, Lizard Girl," he said gruffly. Hotaru felt tears well up in her eyes. She smiled softly before leaning down and kissing him. This time, she used more force. She pressed herself into him, grinding gently. Bakugou was surprised but wasn't going to object. Little did he know, Hotaru had no idea what she was doing. She was being led by Kiyo.

'_Now,'_ the spirit said. Hotaru did as told. She left a trail of kisses that went from Bakugou's neck to his shoulder. When she got to his shoulder she found that she couldn't help herself...

She bit him.

"Shit," Bakugou flinched. Hotaru panicked. She widened her eyes a bit.

"I'm so sorry! I-I thought about it then I couldn't stop!" she covered her mouth with her hands, jumping off the couch. Bakugou sighed. He laid back down, pulling the girl back on top of him.

"It's fine. What's a little blood gonna do?" the blonde asked. Hotaru raised an eyebrow.

"You really wanna know?"

Bakugou gave her a confused look as she straddled him. She bent down and began to lap the blood from his shoulder. Suddenly, the flames on her horns were different...

Hotaru's horns ignited but not with her usual blue flames. They were a mixture of Bakugou's explosions and the blue fire she was used to. Her left horn was never able to properly ignite since it was broken by Todoroki so the blasts only came out as small sparks. The same happened at the end of her tail. This had happened before in the forest but neither of them realized it at the time.

"Holy crap," Bakugou exclaimed as he watched the miniature explosions spark.

"I guess it's like a new ability or something," Hotaru smirked as she laid down next to him on the couch. He wrapped his arm around her and she couldn't help but feel safe. It was right where she belonged.

Bakugou wanted to stay like this. He never wanted to let go. He didn't want to lose his girl...

'_Fuck...that sounds weird...'_

But at the same time, it didn't.

**Later...**

All Might was on his way to pick up Hotaru. Bakugou didn't want to let her leave. She had to practically push him off her to get off the couch. Hotaru didn't mind, though. She liked his affection. She had wanted it for a long time. Now that she had it, she wasn't going to start complaining. The purple-haired girl and the blonde stood at the door as they said their goodbye's.

"I guess I'll see you later," Bakugou said.

Hotaru rolled her eyes, "You know you will." She attempted to playfully hit him in the arm but Bakugou caught her wrist. He moved it to his shoulder and got Hotaru close once again. He leaned down so he was right next to her ear. She could feel his breath on her neck.

"Do I?" he asked gruffly. Hotaru raised an eyebrow as he started kissing her neck. She let out what was supposed to be a sigh but came out more like a shudder. Bakugou paused when he saw a cab pull up and All Might's weakened body walking out of it.

"I gotta go," Hotaru removed herself from Bakugou's side. The blonde's wide eyes and agape mouth turned into a frown. Hotaru giggled at his pout.

"We'll talk about that later," she began to walk. She got a few feet away from him when she realized something. She spun around on her heels and walked back to him. She grabbed his shirt and pulled him down so he was easier to reach.

"I know where we stand," she whispered into his ear. Bakugou raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, yeah? Where?"

Hotaru pulled the loud blonde down lower and-with more force-meshed her lips with his. It was the most passionate kiss they shared and she was the one who gave it. After a moment, another car horn sounded. Hotaru pulled back, smiling as Bakugou growled. The two stood there with their foreheads touching.

"See ya..." Hotaru turned around before walking away. She gave Bakugou an over the shoulder look.

"Boyfriend," she winked. Bakugou's grin was both cocky and happy. It was hard to tell the difference. Hotaru smiled as she ran down to the cab All Might was in.

"Sorry I took so long," she apologized. The pro hero shook his head.

"It's fine, I just got worried," he said. Hotaru's smile grew.

"I don't think you have to worry when I'm with Katsuki," she saw All Might's eyebrow peak.

"I guess you came to an understanding with him?" he asked. Hotaru bit her lip for a moment.

"Yeah, I guess."

'_I'd say it was more than understanding,'_ Kiyo added snarkily. Hotaru giggled.

'_Thanks for letting me be alone with him,'_ she thought. She didn't want All Might, or anyone for that matter, to figure things out just yet. She wasn't sure herself but knew this was going in the right direction. She wanted to keep it on the down-low so she could enjoy it.

'_No worries. I'm glad you stopped needing my help, you bottom. Learn to lead some more,'_ Kiyo sighed. Hotaru held back laughter.

'_I will...'_

**Hi, everyone! I know this chapter is a bit out of the blue but I wanted your opinion on something...**

**I love writing this story and I still have some ideas for where I want it to go. Unfortunately, I think it's getting a little long. Instead of making a forty-something-chaptered story, I was thinking of making a sequel. So...**

**Should I make another story that continues Lizard Girl's hero adventure?**

**OR**

**Should I end it within the next chapter or two?**

**PM or comment on what you would rather have me do! **

As always...Thanks for reading, loves!

**Special Thanks To...**

**_Morgandodd99_**

**_Trafalgar92_**

**_Reviews;_**

**Emocean:** Aww, thanks, Hon! I honestly wanted to off Hotaru's mother as soon as I wrote her in the story but I needed an antagonist. Thanks for taking the time to review and I'm glad you like it!


	30. The Starts of Something New

**Chapter 33**

**3rd P.o.V**

Hotaru was walking out of the speech pathology building where her vocal therapy was held. It was her last day and she was glad to be finished. The place smelled like an old folk's home and there were a few people inside that disturbed her. However, her day got better when she saw Bakugou waiting for her, leaning against a cab.

"Finally. I've been out here for like twenty minutes," the blonde complained.

'_Tell him to suck it up,'_ Kiyo spat. Hotaru was glad she was starting to talk more. The spirit was getting more comfortable with how things would be now that she wasn't the only one who wanted to protect Hotaru.

The purple-haired girl playfully hit Bakugou in the stomach. "Come on, you big baby," she giggled as she got into the cab.

"Hey, you're the one who cried when we watched that stupid robot movie," the blonde scoffed. Hotaru pouted.

"He just wanted to rebuild the Earth and love his little space girlfriend! His robot heart was more human than any of those bastards on that ship," she cried. Bakugou laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. She smiled and blushed as she put her head on his shoulder.

"I've got my own little space girlfriend," he said.

Hotaru giggled as she gave him a playful shove, "That was way too corny." Bakugou snickered as he wrapped his arms around the girl. When she tried to escape his grasp, he planted kisses on her neck, receiving a giggle-like-squeal in response.

Soon, the car rolled to a stop and the two were forced to end their little interaction. Bakugou paid the driver and they both got out. They had arrived at the mall, the location of their first _real_ date. UA would be starting classes again in a week and Bakugou figured that he'd take Hotaru shopping. While she was originally against it because she didn't want him wasting money on her, he insisted. When Hotaru realized he wasn't going to back down, she caved but promised herself that she wouldn't ask for anything.

"So, where to, first?" Hotaru held Bakugou's hand and gave it a light squeeze.

"You hungry?" she nodded to his question.

"Starving," she whined. Bakugou smirked as he began walking.

"Then let's eat," he whispered in her ear. The two made their way to the food court where Bakugou bought some pizza and drinks then sat down at a table with Hotaru. The small girl scarfed down the food like it was nothing.

"Damn...I know you have that chick stuck in your head but do you eat for her, too?" the blonde in front of her had asked. Hotaru rolled her eyes.

'_Murder him. Murder him, now,_' Kiyo deadpanned.

"Laugh it up. You'll pay for it later," Hotaru winked as she got up to throw the trash away.

"Oh, really? How?" Bakugou raised an eyebrow. He leaned back in his chair so he could watch the purple-haired girl. For a moment, he was mesmerized by the playful sway of her tail. She turned around with a half-smile and a hand on her hip.

"You've got a picture of you in your room," she stated matter-of-factly. Bakugou shook his head and set his chair legs down, clicking his tongue.

"That's a normal thing, dumb-" "It's of you and Midoriya."

The blonde froze. He frowned as he stared at Hotaru.

"There were other-" "They were cropped. Don't think I didn't see that. I know why you're hard on him, Katsuki. Hell, you treat him the worst, but I know you have good intentions," Hotaru walked until she stood behind him. Bakugou furrowed his eyebrows at her smugness.

"Whatever," he spat, turning away from the girl. Hotaru sighed before lightly grabbing his face. She pulled him back a bit, making his chair balanced on its back legs. She then leaned over him until their faces weren't but an inch apart.

"I don't want to fight today, so please try to be in a good mood," she closed the space between them and kissed him. This seemed to calm down the loud blonde.

"Let's keep going," Hotaru smiled. Bakugou nodded and stood up. He took Hotaru's hand and made it look like he was going to kiss her. Then, he stopped halfway through the movement. Hotaru raised an eyebrow.

"Now we're even," he whispered before pecking Hotaru on the forehead. The purple-haired girl wore an impressed expression and a light blush as she began walking again.

'_You two confuse me,_' Kiyo said with her uncertainty clear in her voice. Hotaru giggled.

'_You'll get used to it,_' she replied inside her mind. Kiyo got quiet, allowing her host to have her time alone with her boyfriend. Needless to say, the teen was thankful.

**Later...**

Hotaru raised an eyebrow as she watched Bakugou carry her shopping bags with a sour expression. Sometime during their date, Bakugou figured out that Hotaru wasn't going to buy anything and practically threatened her until she began to ask for things she saw. Then, when carrying the bags to the car, refused to let her hold them.

Kiyo had said the blonde was trying to show off but Hotaru retorted it by saying it was only three bags and he didn't have to show off for her. He had done more impressive things, after all.

"You know I can carry _three_ _bags_, right?" the purple-haired girl had to stop herself from laughing. Bakugou furrowed his eyebrows.

"Shut up," he spat. The girl shook her head and sighed. Suddenly, Kiyo pointed something out that Hotaru had failed to notice. They were walking around the parking lot with no clear goal in mind.

'_Hotaru, where is the vehicle?'_

"You didn't think to call a car, did you?" Hotaru asked, raising one of her eyebrows. Bakugou froze. His shoulders and head dropped. His girlfriend gave him a pat on the back.

"It's okay, Katsuki. We'll walk," she smiled genuinely. The blonde sighed as he picked himself up and began walking with her. She linked her arm with his and kept her warm smile.

"Are you ready for school to start again?" she attempted to strike up a conversation. Bakugou grinned.

"Hell, yeah. I'm gonna kick everyone's ass!" he raised his voice a bit. Hotaru flinched, her sensitive ears twitching.

The loud boy next to her narrowed his eyes, "Sorry."

"It's fine. I'm just glad you're happy," she said. She leaned over and gave Bakugou a peck on the cheek. The blonde smirked.

"Thanks, Lizard Girl."

The two made it back to Bakugou's house. The blonde sat the bags down as Hotaru sighed and she dropped down onto his couch. Suddenly, a big yawn escaped the depths of her chest and throat.

"I'm so tired," the small female mumbled. Bakugou sat down next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"You just walked for not even an hour. How can you be tired?" he asked, giving her a puzzled look as she rubbed her eyes. Hotaru shrugged before resting her head on his shoulder.

"Don't question me," she slurred quietly as she closed her eyes. Bakugou couldn't help the smirk that overcame his facial features as he watched her fall asleep. She shifted briefly, snuggling up to the blonde boy's chest. The best part about the moment was that it was so quiet, he was able to hear her talk in her sleep.

"I love you..." she mumbled. Bakugou's face dropped, but not in a bad way. He pondered the words while they were still fresh in his mind. It was the first time she had said to them...Did she mean it? Bakugou shook his head, facepalming at the idea.

_'Damn_ it...' the blonde thought. Of course, she didn't mean it, she was asleep! The words did give Bakugou butterflies in his stomach. He would have said it back if she was awake. Instead of worrying over a missed opportunity, he kissed her forehead and rested his head against hers. He would save that awkward conversation for another time but for now, he wanted to simply enjoy her company.

**That Morning...**

When Bakugou woke up with no one beside him, he panicked and began to search around the house for Hotaru. He realized that the only thing he was going to find was a note. He sighed before opening it, his eyes feasting on fancy, script, handwriting

**"She needs to go home. I don't approve of you two but, sadly, it's not my decision****. She enjoys your company and you can provide for her. I don't think I could change her mind, anyway. Sincerely, Kiyo Hime."**

Bakugou scoffed before putting the folded paper back down, "Damn. Does she have to show up every time Lizard Girl sleeps?" He grabbed a bottle of water from his fridge and dropped down onto the couch. He missed Hotaru's warmth being next to him but knew that he had to get used to being without her sometimes. His mind wandered back to the night before.

'_I love you...'_

He didn't have time to think about his thoughts or even figure them out before a beeping came from his pocket. He begrudgingly took his phone out and scanned the screen.

**"Hey, Katsuki, I'm sorry about Kiyo. I'm still pissed at her for leaving...Anyway, I hope you had a good night's sleep. I did, at least. I had fun yesterday and we should do it again! Unfortunately, I'm busy today but I'll see you soon!"**

A small smirk made its way onto the blonde's face as he red the message from the purple-haired girl. He missed her already...

**...**

Hotaru frowned as she walked the streets with All Might. She had woken up on his couch and instantly freaked out. Kiyo had calmed her down when she told her host that she had taken control and left Bakugou's apartment. Needless to say, Hotaru was still salty.

'_Your body is still weak. That little trip yesterday took more out of you than usual. I was simply looking out for your health_,' Kiyo said. Hotaru, of course, ignored her.

"Are you sure you want to come with me? You seem pretty...agitated," All Might pointed out, feeling a little nervous himself. Hotaru sighed.

"Just a little internal conflict is all," she said with a slightly acidic tone. The blonde man's sweat fell.

He cleared his throat, "Well...is there anything you want to do while we're out?" Hotaru thought for a moment.

She suddenly smiled, "Do you feel like ice cream?" the man next to her smirked back, happy that his attempt at a change of conversation topic had worked.

"Alright, then," he chuckled as they continued walking.

'_Hotaru...listen,' _Kiyo instructed. Hotaru raised an eyebrow as she focused on her enhanced hearing.

"Is that him?"

"Poor man."

"He was so great..."

The purple-haired girl's ears twitched as she picked up the murmurs of the passersby on the street. She narrowed her eyes.

_'He's not dead,_ geez...' she thought as she looked up at All Might. His change in facial expressions told her that he had heard the people, too...

"What do you...What do you do about them?" Hotaru asked reservedly. All Might shrugged.

"If you hear things like that then it means you've left behind something worth remembering. I take pride in the whispers," he said with a sombre smile.

Hotaru stared at him with confusion and intrigue, "I guess you're right..." Her train of thought led her to a question she was hesitant to ask.

'_Don't you dare ask that,'_ Kiyo spat. Hotaru ignored her once again.

"What's going to happen to my mom?" she finally mustered up the courage to speak. All Might paused.

"She...She'll be in custody for a while, I can tell you that. Because of that, you are no longer able to be in her care. You will be placed in foster care and will have to be adopted," he said. Hotaru's eyes fell to the ground at the revelation.

"Oh..." she mumbled. There was a moment of silence. All Might stopped walking and Hotaru realized about five feet later.

"I was thinking of putting in an application..." the hero said. Hotaru's confused expression soon turned to one of shock.

"S-Sir, don't feel like-" "No, no, I want to," All Might shook his head.

"I would just like to ask you if that's what you wanted. I mean, there's still a chance I won't be the one to receive...Well...Are you okay with it?" he asked. Hotaru was frozen. She didn't know what to say or how to even react.

Being All Might's foster child? That seemed like a dream to most kids. Even if he wasn't the number one hero, he still had a legacy worth remembering. That was what he meant earlier. Being a part of something like _that_...Well, it might have once seemed impossible to Hotaru. Now, she wasn't even sure if she should know the meaning of the word.

"Yes," the purple-haired girl's teary eyes gleamed as she gave the blonde man a big, fanged, grin.

**Two Days Later...**

**Hotaru's P.o.V**

The time had come. My new family was mere minutes away...It was scary, yet exhilarating. I could barely contain my excitement and nervousness. I was just so excited to become _All Might's_ daughter!

He had told me that his name was Toshinori Yagi and I didn't have to call him by his hero name but it was taking some getting used to. I understood, though. His career was over, after all, and I was probably about to be his daughter so it was only right.

I wanted to show the man that he wasn't making a mistake. I _was_ going to make my new home different than my last. All Mi-I mean-Toshinori deserved that much after everything that had happened to him and how much he gave to society...After how much he gave to me...

We were in the courtroom waiting for my adoption to be finalized. I was so nervous that I could barely sit still. I unconsciously bounced my leg.

Kiyo lectured me about how it made me look unsophisticated and I should stop. I felt a bead of sweat roll down my forehead as I apologized and stopped. She gave up on me when I started fidgeting with the hem of my skirt, instead.

Speaking of clothing, I was dressed in a simple white dress with black shoes and knee-high socks. The rest of my hair was pulled up into a high ponytail with long bangs framing the side of my face. Toshinori was just wearing the yellow suit he usually wore to work.

We waited as the judge evaluated our case and read it out loud for the stenographer to record. I held Toshinori's hand tightly and bit my lip, unconsciously drawing a little blood.

'_Calm down, Hotaru. There is no reason for them to deny you a new family. Especially when it's him. Everything will be okay,_' Kiyo encouraged me. I took a deep breath.

'_I know...I'm just...anxious...'_

After a little bit of waiting, the judge smiled and announced that I was now, _officially_, Toshinori Hotaru.

I simply couldn't contain my emotions, allowing a stream of tears to fall down my cheeks. A great grin had taken over my face as I wrapped my arms around my new parent. He hugged back, allowing me to cry my joyful tears as he gently put a hand on the back of my head.

"Thank you so much, Sir," my voice cracked as I sniffled. The blonde man hugging me had chuckled in response.

"We're going to face the future together," he said with a loving tone.

_'Congratulations, Hotaru. This is everything you ever wanted and I'm happy for_ you,' Kiyo said. I internally thanked her then looked up at Toshinori. I smiled from ear to ear.

"You saved me once again."

**To Be Continued...**

**It's settled...I will be making a sequel to this story. I'll probably wait a little bit so that I can focus on my other stories for a bit and maybe go back and revise the older chapters of this one.**

**Thank you to rsaenz18 and Tyrrenxd for helping me make this decision, by the way!**

_**Look out for Lizard Girl; Season of The Damned**_

Special Thanks To...

_pandragonic_

_Zonta_

_MercifulOmega_

_Snowball A.K.A. WinterWolf_


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